In a Flash
by DarkElements10
Summary: [Set after "The Flash is Born] "A picture is worth a thousand words, but it doesn't tell the whole story." When Barry comes across a new Metahuman whose eyes can move at a fraction of his top speed, everything about the life he knew gets thrown out of focus. The smallest move, the smallest decision can change the resolution of your life from clear to blurry all in a flash.
1. You Know Someone Affected

**In a Flash**

**By: Rhuben**

**Summary-[Set after "The Flash is Born] "A picture is worth a thousand words, but it doesn't tell the whole story." When Barry comes across a new Metahuman whose eyes can move at a fraction of his top speed, everything about the life he knew gets thrown out of focus. The smallest move, the smallest decision can change the resolution of your life from clear to blurry all in a flash. Barry has kept his sights on finding the man who killed his mom. All Averey wanted to do was find her biological father. As their paths cross, they learn the importance of looking at the big picture, and not at what they wanted to see framed before them.**

****[Has OCs] **[CiscoxOC] [RedEye - Barry/OC friendship] [Snowstorm] [KillerVibe - friendship] [Westhawne] [Everey - Eddie/OC friendship]  
**

* * *

**-Chapter One-**

**"You Know Someone Who Was Affected By the Accident"**

Jitters was the last thing Averey Moore needed.

And yet here she was, pressing the rubber soled heels of her white and black Nike hi-tops into the concrete from where she stood outside the coffee shop; Central City Jitters. With her face covered by the hood of her black thin sweatshirt—despite the sun being out there was still a chill in the air—sunglasses shielding the streak of sunlight shimmering through the gaps between the buildings, and alternating between gripping the strap to her bag and rocking back and forth on her heels, she couldn't blame anyone for thinking she looked like some sort of creeper.

Everyone in Central City had to be on edge at this point. Who wouldn't be? What with all the…_enhanced _people roaming around the city disguised as your average man or woman; who was to know who was normal and who was one second away from causing chaos? Having first arrived in the beautiful city around five months before, a newspaper article or radio report about the strange goings on made her want to turn around and head straight home. But the longer she stayed, the more she just got used to it; much like a lot of things in America—especially portion sizes of food.

Lifting her hands to reach behind her neck, Averey pulled her pig tails forward around the sides of her neck to provide extra protection against the cool air. It was time to move. She grasped the door handle and pulled hard, blinking in surprise, stumbling back just slightly at how easily the giant door swung open, allowing the aroma of coffee and cinnamon buns to crash over her like a wave.

"Far out," she muttered as she caught her balance. She lifted a hand to check that her sunglasses were still secure on her face before letting out a breath of air, stepping into the building.

"Welcome to Jitters," a blonde girl said, hurrying over to Averey the minute the door swung shut behind her. The girl reached her free hand up to brush her hair from her face, her other hand clasped around the handle of a coffee pot. A black apron covered her waist, complimenting her curves. "Are you ok? I saw you stumble."

"Yeah, I'm alright…" Averey replied, with a simple nod of her head. She quickly glanced down at the oval pinned to the blonde's blouse. "Tracey. Cheers." She lifted her hands and pulled down her hood before sliding her sunglasses up into her hair. A frown tugged at the corners of Averey's lips when a dull ache pressed at the tops of her eyes. _Just ignore it, Ave, this won't take long._ "How ya going? I'm looking for Iris West?"

"She's right over there," Tracey replied with a smile. With a quick flick of her head, she pointed Averey in the right direction. Averey shifted her gaze, lifting her hand to block out the few rays of sun that was pointing at her before gently rubbing at the top of her eyes. Tracey frowned. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Oh, yes, I'm just a bit knackered," Averey replied with a hint of a smile. "Thanks." She adjusted her bag on her back, making her way across the dark linoleum flooring to the African American woman who was clearing a table, humming to herself. "Iris?"

"Yes?" Iris asked, blinking her warm brown eyes in question as her lips parted into a smile. She straightened, drawing herself up to her full height. "Can I help you?"

"Hey." Averey thrust out her hand and gave Iris's hand a shake. "I'm Averey. Averey—"

"Averey Moore, right." Iris's smile widened as she responded with a strong handshake of her own. "Hey. Hi." She closed her eyes for a brief moment before batting the air with her hand. "Sorry. I go on break in a minute, if you could…" She waved her hand in the air. "Find a seat."

Averey quickly scanned the room. There were plenty of free tables lining the windows, stretching out across the carpet, in the direct sunlight. That wouldn't do. Windows. Windows everywhere; one after another, after another. What was with this place and windows? Just the thought of it made her feel lightheaded. She let out a breath of air and leaned forward just slightly to place her palm on top of the table nearest her, steadying herself.

"Er, d'you mind if I sit away from the sun?" she asked, picking and choosing her words carefully. _And any and all windows in existence? _She gave a short laugh and lifted her hand to scratch the back of her head. "I brought my portfolio with me and…the glare." _She'll buy that. Right?_

"Right, right," Iris replied.

_Thank God._

Iris's eyebrows lifted before she dropped her hand to her side, a soft slapping sound splitting the air when the palm of her hand hit her side. "No problem. Just sit wherever you like and I'll be with you in a minute." She then clapped her hands together, briefly closing her eyes. "Oh! Could I get you coffee or anything?"

Averey's nose wrinkled as she gave a brief shake of her head. "Nah, I don't quite like coffee. Do you happen to serve tea?" she asked, lifting her hand to scratch at her eyebrow. "Black tea with a little milk?" _Because that doesn't sound like coffee at all._

Iris seemed to think the same way. The twinkle of amusement that appeared in her eye for a split second didn't go unnoticed by Averey. Nothing went unnoticed by her. "I can do that," Iris replied with a nod of her head. "Have a seat and welcome to Jitters."

Averey gave a smile of thanks. Chewing on her bottom lip, her eyes squinting just slightly as she looked around the room. Then she spotted it; a dark corner just by the front door. Sweet, sweet salvation! She would've clicked her heels, but she didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Or rather, any _more _attention.

Averey slid her hands into her pants pockets before making her way over to a seat in the corner. Nice and shady, just the way she liked it. She carefully set her backpack to the floor before unzipping it. Reaching inside, she carefully slid her hand down the front of a folder and removed it from her bag, setting it down onto the table. She smoothed her hands over the closed manila folder before folding them on top, kicking up her leg to cross it over her knee.

"Ow!" The flat top of her foot struck the chair next to her, sending it flying backwards. "_Ow_!" Her continued motion of crossing her leg caused her knee to collide into the bottom of the table. She practically lunged out of her chair to grab the leg of the chair that toppled backwards, heading towards the floor. "Aw, bollocks."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Iris said as Averey set the chair back in its place. Iris held a steaming mug of tea in her hand which she carefully set down on the table before removing a couple of napkins from her apron, placing it on the table as well. "We're not exactly twinkle toes around here." She sat across from Averey and crossed one leg over the other. "So, I'm glad you were able to make it."

"Ah, no worries," Averey replied, waving her hand in the air. She folded her arms on top of her belongings. "I've been looking for an excuse to come in. I've been meaning to take a gander at Jitters for a while now and I hear d you have some ace cinnamon buns."

"How long have you been in Central City?" Iris asked with a good-natured laugh that put Averey at ease.

"About..nine, ten months I reckon?" Averey said as more of a question, her face scrunching up just slightly as she thought. She ducked her head for a moment, letting out a quiet laugh. "I know, that sounds terrible, being here so long and not stopping by. But, your blog's something I've kept up with lately and wanted to meet the person behind it."

There was no one else that compiled all sightings of "The Streak" or "The Flash" and their own thoughts and opinions into a cohesive and concise blog like her own_. _No one else was as invested as she was to conduct research on him. Or her. Whoever _it_ was.

Going to Jitters under the guise of asking to feature the coffee shop in her blog was the easiest way for her to meet Iris. It was the only way for her to get close to Iris without jumping the gun and immediately start pumping her for any and all information she had about the…_thing _that has made her scared of the dark for so long. As long as there was someone out there that believed in the impossible, someone who could believe her story, she'd try to get as many answers as she could.

"Really?" Iris asked, her eyebrows lifting.

"One of the top five sites I visit every daily," Averey replied with a slight tilt of her head and shrug of her shoulders. "I mean, if you combine all e-mail sites together." She lifted her hands and locked her fingers together. "I spend a lot of time on Reddit; did you know your blog posts get shared there, too?"

"I…no." Iris's look of shock turned into a smile as she let out a laugh of disbelief. "Wow. Do you know what this means?"A peaceful yet excited smile blossomed on her face. "More people are believing in him." She settled back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "And this all just started from a class assignment."

"Impressive," Averey commented, her eyebrows lifting. She reached for her mug of tea and wrapped her hands around it, her palms and fingertips instantly warming up. As she lifted the mug to her lips, Iris waved her hand in the air before stating, "but you didn't come here just to talk about my blog."

"I reckon not, but it's not every day you meet a fellow blogger. Well, I guess with tumblr you would," Averey replied with the shrug of her shoulders after she swallowed. The hot beverage slid down her chest and into her stomach as she let out a satisfied "Ahhh."

"Good?" Iris asked, nodding her head towards the mug.

"Amazing," Averey replied, licking her lips as she set her mug down onto the table. She then lifted her arm and wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. "I wanted to talk about Jitters to feature it in my blog. See if it's ok to take a couple pictures around here."

She set her hands down on top of her manila folder, pushing it towards Iris. "I brought some so you can take a gander at some of my work," she explained before reaching her hands up to slide her fingers through her pigtails. "I didn't want to just show up out of the blue."

"Oh, you're a photographer, too?" Iris asked, as she picked up the folder, flipping it open.

"Freelance," Averey replied, lifting one side of her mouth into a half smile. "I blog for the fun of it, but I'm currently between photography jobs." She took another long sip of her tea. "Wouldn't have been able to come out here without some of those jobs. "

"I can see why," Iris replied before letting out a low whistle as she started to flip through the images. "These are amazing."

"Edges. Hold it by the edges, please," Averey said, tensing every muscle in her body to stop herself from taking the pictures back. Scratch that, from _snatching _them back from her friend. Her fingers twitched and she grabbed her mug to distract herself. "Sorry. It's just that I can see fingerprints from a mile away." _And even further than that._

Iris lifted her hands into the air, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry," she apologized. "I really love this one. It's Central City, isn't it?" She carefully held an 8x10 up between the pads of her fingers before turning it around to face Averey who smiled.

"Yeah, I took it right when I got in to town," she replied as she looked at the image. She was surprised how clearly it had turned out with how much it was raining. Standing on the hillside overlooking the city, she was able to snap a picture of the speeding cars with blurred red taillights, the dim gloom of the rain over the city, and the glow of the lights as they welcomed her to town. "I think it's my favorite out of all of the ones here."

Photography was something Averey had always been interested in. She had an eye for it, and an eye for detail as her mom had explained to her (and over and over again) when she gave Averey her first real camera. When other kids wanted to be firefighters, police officers, or teachers, she was running around taking pictures of anything and everything. Her finger tips were apparent in her first roll of film, or at least they would've been if she hadn't been so curious enough to see what the inside of a camera was like and exposed the film…on numerous occasions.

After receiving her first Polaroid, her camera sophistication and artistry in photos came to life. Averey progressed to disposable cameras, before migrating to digital cameras with handfuls of memory cards, ending on her beloved Nikon camera. Her picture quality slowly grew from fingers to blurred images, to partial captures, to what's brought some (sort of) fame to her name. At least to a small online community.

She had a fast shutter finger so maybe she could capture this "streak" on film. That'd really bring a flood of hits to not only her blog, but Iris's if she passed along the sighting. And it would finally have people believing in her. That she really did see something in the dark that night.

"You know…" Iris trailed off turning the picture back towards her. Suddenly looking downcast, her eyebrows lowered, scrunching together just slightly. "I think…this was the night of the particle accelerator accident."

_Averey's camera slipped out of her fingers—the strap digging into her neck—as she gripped the metal railing after it shuddered violently against her stomach. "Far out," she whispered, rubbing the pads of her finger over the sore area of her neck. She lifted her head, and shortly after her camera, when a pillar of light shot into the air. _

"That was supposed to be such a wonderful night, too," Iris said quietly. She briefly closed her eyes before putting a smile to her face as if trying to wipe the thought from her memory.

"You know somebody who was affected by the accident," Averey said as more of a question then a statement, the words rolling off her tongue before she could stop herself. Iris opened and closed her mouth a couple of times. Averey made a face, her nose wrinkling. _There you go again, Ave. _"You don't have to tell me, I'm sorry I brought it up." Her hand flew out to grasp her cool tea and collided her knuckles into the smooth, ceramic side, knocking it off the table. "Oh!"

The black liquid splashed onto the linoleum splattering in all directions. The mug went tumbling after it, only to be stopped by the quick hand of the young man that appeared beside their table. Averey jumped to her feet, pulling her feet away from the splash zone. "Nice catch."

"Thanks." The young man put the mug down onto the table before shaking the droplets of excess tea from his hand before wiping it on his jeans. Averey quickly reached for the pile of napkins on the table and all but shoved a couple into his hands before taking the rest and dropping them over top of the spill.

"That's alright," Iris said to her, holding her pictures to her chest. She gave a small grin. "It's part of my job. I'll clean it up."

"Oh, it's no problem, mate," Averey insisted, wiping the tea soaked napkins on the floor, trying to soak up as much as possible before straightening, setting them into the now empty cup. Grabbing her bag up off of the floor—and spotting some wet marks from where the tea had splashed onto it—she reached inside and grabbed her wallet. Flipping it open with fumbling finger she managed to work out a couple of bills, setting them down onto the table. "That should cover it, yeah?"

There was a moment of silence. Averey peered closely at Iris as she reached out to take the money. "Oh!" Averey lifted her hand and smacked herself in the forehead. "Sorry, I forgot the tip." She opened her wallet again and set down some more money. "I'm still getting used to that. We don't tip where I'm from."

"That's quite alright, I'm sure this will cover it," Iris said as she slid the money into the pocket of her apron. "But, I've been meaning to ask are you from England or…?"

"Actually, I'm—"

"Australia," the young man said, cutting Averey off. "A lot of people get the accents mixed up; same with New Zealand, although there are a lot of differences. Well, the New Zealand and Australian accents are more similar except the New Zealand accent has shortened vowels." He paused for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "I've found when a lot of people try and mimic the English accent from London they tend to either be very cockney or very posh."

Averey pointed a finger over at the man. "Riiight," she said, holding out the word. She blinked rapidly, recovering from the barrage of words that blindsided her. "What he said."

He cleared his throat, lifting his thumb to scratch at the side of his jaw. "Or they could be like me and not know when to stop talking," he said more to himself as he started to rock back and forth on his heels. He reached up to adjust the top button of his shirt. Iris rolled her eyes, a smile of amusement parting her red lips. She turned towards the boy and put her hand on hips.

"This loquacious fellow is a good friend of mine. Barry Allen," Iris said before she crossed her arms over her face. She then turned to face him, her dark tresses flipping around her shoulder as she gave him a pointed look. "And he's late…again." Barry pulled the corner of his lips down into a cringe. "Maybe I should get you a watch for your birthday. Set it a few minutes fast?"

Barry briefly glanced towards the ceiling before holding his hand out towards her. "Hi, I'm Barry." He gave her a warm smile as she slid her smaller hand into his. "Like she just said." His palm was soft, yet rough with the calluses on the bridge of his hand.

"Averey Moore, how ya going?" Averey asked, giving Barry a smile. She then turned back towards Iris, starting to pack up her things. "Thank you for meeting with me today. I should have the piece up by the end of the week."

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt you two," Barry said, his eyes widening slightly as he looked back and forth between the two girls.

"It's ok, I need to get down to the library anyway," Averey replied, waving her hand in the air. She lifted her backpack off the floor and set it in her chair, throwing her wallet in.

"The pleasure was all mine," Iris replied, offering her hand towards Averey for another handshake. "Thank you." She turned towards Barry and clasped her hands together. "Just give me a few minutes to clock out and get my things?"

"Take your time," Barry replied with a nod of his head and a smile. Iris gave him a knowing smile and he let out a "Ha, ha" as he caught on to the irony.

"By the way, are you hiring here?" Averey asked, catching Iris's attention. She gave a sheepish grin. "Got to bring in rent money somehow, yeah?"

"I'll have to check with Tracey," Iris replied, slowly nodding her head, "but the least I can do is get you an application to turn in so we can keep you on file. Is that ok?"

"Perfect." Averey gave Iris a smile of thanks before the woman headed to the counter. She stopped after a couple of steps before hurrying back, giving an embarrassed smile as she handed Averey her pictures. She slid the folder into her backpack and zipped it up, giving Barry a quick smile which he returned as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

Iris returned moments later, saving Barry and Averey from their silence, with a pen and an application and a mop. As Iris cleaned the floor of drying tea, Averey quickly filled it out, finishing with a flourish of her name. "Thanks. I'll let you two go," she said as she set down the pen over the completed application, "but it was nice meeting you. And you, Barry."

"You too," Barry said, lifting his hand in a short wave.

"Nice meeting you,," Iris said with a smile as she leaned her weight on the pole of the mop in her hands. "I'm looking forward to your write up. Maybe I could get a few tips from you? From one blogger to another."

"Sounds cool." Averey zipped up her backpack before lifting it off the chair. As she swung it to pull onto her back, the strap caught the post of her chair, pulling it over. Before it hit the ground, Barry lunged forward and grabbed it before it hit the floor, straightening it. Averey put a hand to her burning cheek as she blushed. "Sorry. I know I'm saying that a lot, I'm a bit clumsy."

With another apology, she pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes, lifted her hood and stepped out into the balmy day. She got to the corner of the street before pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. Quickly drawing her pattern to unlock her phone, she brought up the search engine and quickly typed in _Central City Library. _After waiting for the page to load, she found the address of the library.

"Everything ok?" Averey looked up to see Barry and Iris standing next to her.

"Uh, sorry, again, but…I don't know which direction the library is from here," Averey said with a sheepish smile.

"It's over in this direction," Barry said, indicating to their left. Iris lifted her hands to brush the long hair blowing in the wind, back behind her ears before lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the sun.

"Yeah, it's about…six blocks from here?" Iris asked as more of a question.

Averey shifted her gaze into the direction that Barry indicated. She narrowed her eyes just slightly as she spotted a sign at the far corner of the block—at least 600 feet away. She blinked once, and as if hearing the _whirring _sound of a camera lens, the sign came into focus until she could read it as clear as if it sat two feet in front of her face.

"Four blocks," she aloud, blinking a second time to restore her vision. She turned back towards Barry and Iris. "Thanks. Have a nice day." Grasping the straps to her backpack, she headed down the street, making her way to the public library. She came upon the large brick building and made her way inside, looking for a secluded (or dark whichever came first) corner to sit in.

Once she was settled into her chair, she removed her laptop computer from her backpack and set it down onto her computer. After a quick boot up, she brought up Google. Her fingers hovered over the black keys before she set her hands into her lap, staring at her blinking cursor. Letting out a sigh through her nose, she reached into her backpack for her wallet and her pictures. She flipped open the front of the manila folder looking at her picture of Central City again before opening her wallet, reaching behind her driver's license.

A small picture of herself, her mom, and her dad smiling happily as they stood along the railing of a bridge overlooking a beautiful river slid out, stuck to the pads of her fingers. The colors were fading, there were slight tears in the sides, and a corner was ripped off. She flipped it over and saw the loopy scribble of her mom's handwriting spelling out, "Central City '93."

"What is this city hiding?" she whispered to herself before setting it down onto the table. She then typed _Central City Particle Accelerator Accident _into Google and tapped her pinky into the ENTER key. As the webpage loaded she came face to face with a flood of links and opened the first one.

A news article opened with an image of a handsome man with dark rimmed glasses, smiling proudly towards the camera. Averey quickly skimmed the article phrases such as "unstable", "many injured", and "career ruining event popped out at her. Opening a second link, a picture of the same handsome man appeared on screen, without the smile and in a wheel chair. A humming sound rumbled in Averey's throat as she slumped back in her seat. She chewed on her thumb nail, shifting her gaze back over to her pictures.

If only she could remember what happened the night of the accident. If there was anyone who had the answers she was looking for, the way she saw it, it looked like it was going to be Iris West or this Harrison Wells character.

* * *

_My name is Averey Moore and up until now I had a pretty normal life. At least that I could remember of it. There is a chunk of my life I can't remember no matter how hard I try. _

_What I do know: I have a mum and a dad who are pretty awesome. In fact, they're awesome enough to support me in traveling all the way to Central City for who knows how long. The thing is, I never exactly told them why I was going. They think I'm moved for my travel blog, but I want to find my biological father. _

_Don't get me wrong, my dad's great but I always felt like I only knew half of who I am, and the other half was whatever I just so happened to pick up from watching him as I grew up._

_This all started with a picture. Only this one didn't explain the whole story. There was no way it could possibly tell its story in a thousand words. At least it's more than what my mum's told me: nothing._

_What I don't know: the chunk of my life surrounding the first four months I've lived in Central City, right after the particle accelerator accident._

_What I want to know: how a simple picture can change your life in a flash._

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**A/N:** Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I'm excited to be writing this story. If you couldn't tell in the story picture, Averey's face claim is Ellen Page. Thanks for taking the time to check out this story._  
_

**Also: **Check out my sisters' stories. _Flash Fire _is also on this account, and _Mark of Sage _you can find on Crystal Manning's page. Happy reading.


	2. Keep Your Eyes Open

**-Chapter Two-**

**"Keep Your Eyes Open"**

"You're going to the library again? Gavin, Brent and I are starting to wonder if you even live here anymore."

Averey carefully slid her laptop into her backpack before turning her gaze towards her bedroom door. Brushing her hair out of her face, she faced one of her roommates, Casey Sawyer-who leaned against the door jamb, using a hand to rub at the corner of her eye, her bob of blonde hair swinging from side to side from the movement.

"Maybe we should just forward all your mail to the library," Casey said with a twitch of her eyebrows, her thin pink lips parting just slightly into a grin, making her upper lip thinner than it already was.

"Oi, I still pay rent and utilities," Averey replied as she grasped the strap to her backpack, lifting it off her bed. Casey hiked an eyebrow. "Kind of."

"Mmhmm." Casey gave a nod of her head.

"No worries," Averey reassured her. "As soon as I land this job, I'll pay in full. Or maybe some more photography jobs will come in the mean time. Living in America this long, I've come to find that blokes 'round here like their winter family portraits." She grinned. "I could make a killing, eh?"

"I know that's true," Casey agreed with a short laugh. She lifted her hand into the air. "No pressure though. I know how hard it is for you to find anyone that wants to hire you for a session being new and all." She made a humming sound in the back of her throat. "Or to hire you for anything in this economy. But, no pressure; it just takes time."

"Mmmm." Averey twisted her mouth to the side. She shouldered her back, listing to the side just slightly as the weight of the contents in the bag altered her balance. "You got any openings at Mercury Labs? I could take pictures of…tissue samples…or-or something."

"_Tissue _samples?" Casey repeated, her nose wrinkling, the smile still on her face.

"I don't know," Averey replied with a shrug. "Whatever you have there."

Despite the suggestion, she couldn't help but shudder at the idea of having to take pictures of any biological piece of the human form. She didn't know what went on down at Mercury Labs, but it _did _have the word "lab" in the name. She could only picture picked people parts in jars lining the walls and earned a second shutter.

Truth be told, Averey _had_ been spending a lot of her time at the library as of late; it was the first place she went to in the morning and was the last place she went to in her mind right before going to sleep. There were hundreds upon thousands of search results about the particle accelerator to comb through, each one giving her more information than she had previously known.

And the more she knew about the accident—and in turn about Harrison Wells—the more prepared she'd be when she went to talk to him. Despite the accident being a big detriment to his career, he was still a well known and world renowned scientist and it would be in her best interest to be prepared for any sort of conversation with him. She thought she was finished with school three years prior but found herself in the library with a dictionary, a physics book, a chemistry book, and a four cardboard cup holder filled with cups of Jitters' hot tea; more than she'd ever have during finals week.

Only today, she wasn't going to the library and a money-blowing trip to CC Jitters was out of the question. Or maybe not. As Averey yawned, she reconsidered that thought weighing the option with the idea of going to check on her application at the coffee shop on her way downtown. Plus, tea had always calmed her down.

"You really want to do what I do?" Casey asked, gaining Averey's attention. Her eyes were narrowed, fixed on her, and her lips were pursed just slightly. All traces of amusement had vanished. "Gavin and I could look to see if there's anything open." Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers, the loud popping sound splitting the air. "Or, hell, I'll check in with Brent to see if he can ask around during his lunch break."

"If you can even get a hold of him," Gavin Turner said with a roll of his eyes as he stepped up behind Casey, gently patting the top of his head with the palm of his hand to check to make sure his spikes were still sticking up, a fruity smell emanating from his hair. His wiped his hands on his gray shirt, leaving a dark streak before adjusting the packages held under his arm. "Tried telling him he got something in the mail, but it went straight to voice mail._ Again_."

"Well, is it important?" Casey asked, her eyebrows lowering, a crease forming in the middle of her forehead. Gavin looked at Averey before shifting his eyes over towards Casey.

"Yyyyep," he replied, popping the 'P' at the end of his sentence. He reached for the stack of packages under his arm and slapped a flat white bubble wrapped shipping package into Casey's stomach. Casey glanced down at it, flipping it over in her hands. Averey saw a large, red eight written on it in a slanted handwriting.

"_Finally_," Casey said, holding the package protectively to her chest. Gavin wiggled his eyebrows but didn't say anything. She gave Averey an easy going smile. "It's that computer part I've been waiting for. Girl needs an external hard drive from time to time."

"Considering all the pictures I take, I know what you mean," Averey replied, sliding her free arm through the strap of her backpack. "Don't worry about Mercury Labs, Case. I applied to Jitters; I'm going to wait to see whether or not I got the job first."

"You know it's normal to apply to more than one place at one time," Gavin pointed out, sliding his thumb along the gold colored mailer in his hand, popping the seal.

"Oh, no, but not Averey," Casey said, putting a hand over her heart. "You know how she is; she keeps her attention on one thing at a time."

"Exactly," Averey replied as she moved past them, slapping the light switch on the wall, turning the light off, "and in this tick, it's—"

"The library," Gavin and Casey finished in unison.

"Right." Averey gave a wink, heading towards the front door.

"Oh, your mom called for you again," Gavin called after her. "I left a message by the phone."

"Sorry, what was that, mate?" Averey asked, raising her voice. She picked up her speed and cupped a hand around her ear. "One track mind!" _Which really comes in handy sometimes; like when you're trying to avoid your mum. _She grasped the small notebook that sat on the table beside the phone and ripped off the top sheet of paper stuffing it into her pants pocket. "Sorry, mum, but you're going to have to wait a little while longer. I have an appointment with Dr. Wells."

"You know you can't dodge her calls forever," Casey said, talking over the sound of Averey noisily opening and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Averey slowly spun in a circle as she stood in the middle of STAR Labs. A low hum reached her ears, occasionally broken up by the clicks and beeps of the various machines and computers in the room. She let out a low whistle that she swore echoed back to her from the high ceiling. STAR Labs may look abandoned on the outside, but it clearly was nothing like it on the inside. She didn't know what she expected to find, but it definitely was not this.

She carefully set her bag down on top of the structure closest to her and quickly did a lap around the room. Monitors, computers, high tech stuff she didn't know the name of. It certainly was a place run by a very smart man who knew what he was doing. Or at least people seemed to think that about him before the accident.

"Bloody hell," she whispered in awe.

"I see we're going to need to tighten security around here."

Averey gasped at the sound of the voice that reached her ears. She turned quickly, briefly spotting a dark haired man in a wheelchair before he vision slanted and she went falling to the ground, scattering the stack of papers she had used to keep her balance, falling down around her like snow.

"Far out," she groaned, reaching back to use the heel of her palm to massage her hip bone. A mechanical _whir _reached her ears and she looked up through the hair that had fallen over her eyes to see a pair of black shiny shoes slid into her line of vision. Averey jumped to her feet swinging her hands up to brush her hair back behind her ears, repeatedly, as it kept sliding out from its position.

The man slowly blinked, clearing his throat.

"Uh…hi," Averey said as she reached up a hand to remove the paper that hand landed on top of her head. She gave a fleeting smile before she really looked the man over as he lifted an eyebrow just slightly. The dark hair, thin dark rimmed glasses, curious blue eyes, the wheelchair…she had seen so many pictures of him, but to see Harrison Wells in person was something else. "You're Harrison Wells. Er, _Dr. _Harrison Wells I mean. Sorry."

"I am." Harrison dipped his chin down just slightly in a nod before folding his hands in his lap. He didn't say much else, his blue eyes searched hers.

"Hi," Averey repeated, her voice just slightly high pitched. "Sorry for suddenly dropping in…" She trailed off as she looked around at the papers on the floor, "and for knocking over what I reckon are very important documents." She started crawling around on her hands and knees, shoving the papers back together into a stack, trying not to bend any corners. She looked up at Harrison who watched her, the corners of his lips curled up just slightly. "But, uh, I wanted to talk to you. If that was ok? If you had time? _Ow_."

Averey hissed in paid as her finger slid across the side of paper, getting caught on a partially opened staple. A dot of blood slowly seeped out of her skin before she lifted her finger to her lips, licking the drop of blood away.

"You've taken the time to somehow enter into STAR Labs," Harrison said as he unfolded his hands, holding his arms out to indicate the vast room, "the least I could do is give you a few minutes of my time. Now tell me, how did you gain access, Miss..?"

"Averey," Averey replied as she got to her feet. She stuck out her lower jaw and blew a lock of her hair out of her eyes, "Moore. Averey Moore." She felt her eyebrows knitting together slightly as she looked over him. His face didn't give any of what he was feeling away. His face was blank and he was slowly blinking, lifting a hand to cup his chin in his hand.

"Well, Miss Moore, I must say I'm, admittedly—"

"Angry," Averey finished for him, her eyebrows lifting. Harrison copied her movement and she faltered just slightly. He had to have been angry, any normal person would. But, she still couldn't figure out what emotion he held in his eyes, his face wasn't giving anything away.

Odd.

"Or confused. I don't really blame you, I did break in." Her eyebrows knitted together as she lifted a finger, waving it just slightly. "Although, not technically, it really was just gaining access like you said."

"Well, you don't hear sirens or alarms and you don't have lasers being pointed in your face," Harrison pointed out, reaching out his hand to wrap his long, thin fingers around the small black stick on the arm rest. He gave a hint of a smile as he pushed it forward just slightly, maneuvering himself closer towards her. With the release of the stick, it swung back into place and he instantly stopped moving. "I don't think we'll go as far as breaking and entering but…you haven't answered my question."

"Uhhh," Averey said as she looked around the room. She spun in a circle before moving to set the stack of papers down onto the computer desk beside her. With a quick press of her palm to the top of the stack to make sure they were secure, before turning back to face the man. "Keypads, or anything you touch, get dirty after a while, yeah? Buttons get worn down. First and last get pressed the hardest, any in between are quickly glanced over."

Harrison's eyebrows shot up. "Which would allow you to decipher the correct combination to grant you access," he said as he lifted a hand to rub his chin as it wrinkled slightly. His lips pulled downwards just slightly as he slowly nodded his head, a glimmer of amusement appearing in his eyes. "Hmm."

Averey closed her mouth, darting out her tongue to wet her lips. He almost seemed…impressed? That really threw her off. Who was impressed with how someone broke into…er, _gained access _into a practically locked off and abandoned laboratory? This Harrison Wells was mysterious alright, way more mysterious and maybe just a bit aloof, than his pictures depicted him to be.

"Admittedly, I'm impressed," Harrison said, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his legs.

"You are," Averey said as more of a statement than a question, blinking once.

"What did you want to talk about, Miss Moore?" Harrison asked, changing the subject. "Although I do have a guess." He let out a sigh through his nose, frowning. " My name and 'particle accelerator' go hand in hand nowadays."

"Well…could you tell me more about the accident?" Averey asked, taking a small step towards him. "How did it happen? How wide spread was the damage? Are there any lasting affects? Is it anything like the atomic bomb explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasake where people suffered from ailments and illnesses years later? Sir, I read all I could online before coming over—"

"Well, I must say this is the first where that day has been compared to such a tragic event of that caliber in our country's history," Harrison spoke up, rubbing his chin in thought. His lips twitched before they formed a thin line. Averey stayed silent, slowly swallowing, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth with her top row of teeth. "Mmm. It was a tragic day, yes; one I wish I could take back in some ways, others not. However, you must have the answers you're looking for, what with your, uh…_vast_ research."

_He's mocking me. _Averey saw the glint of…annoyance? Or was it anger? Guilt? She couldn't decipher it, but he fixed her with a gaze so piercing, she just about flinched, taking a small step back from him. Harrison lifted his arm and set his elbow down onto his arm rest, slowly sliding the pad of his thumb over his fingers moving faster and faster as the seconds ticked by.

"It's a day that will go down in history, I'm sure, but what I don't think anyone understands is that no matter how much they hate me for the accident, it could never amount to how much I hate myself for it." He cleared his throat. "I am a scientist that had one failed experiment. I would like to move on, but there are others, much like yourself, that _won't allow me to do so when there are more important things to focus on_."

Averey blinked in surprise at the sudden change in his vocal tone. Just a moment ago he was speaking in a sullen and somber tone and now his whole body language had changed. His back was stiff in his chair, teeth tightly clenched; his hand that had been draped over the top of the black control stick of his wheelchair was now tightly gripping the arm rest, fingernails digging into the padded material underneath. He slid his thumb over his fingers faster before tucking it into a fist, his knuckles popping with how hard he was squeezing his fingers together.

"I-I'm sorry," Averey said quietly. Suddenly she felt like she was a little girl again, being yelled at after getting caught taking one too many extra cookies and earning a slap on the hand for it, or after the time her mom had yelled in her face in a fit of frustration, "Why don't you be like your father and get out of my face?!" She felt her eyes widen slightly, the corners of her lips pulling downwards, as she sucked in a deep breath of air, trying to calm herself down.

Harrison removed his glasses from his face, (making him suddenly look much younger to Averey) letting out a long sigh. He rubbed at his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose before he raked his fingers through his hair. He pressed his lips together before bowing his head just slightly. "I apologize," he said as he slid his glasses back over his nose, "I trust you will forgive me for my outburst."

"As long as you'll forgive me for barging in and demanding answers," Averey replied with a small nod of her head. "Newspapers and websites can give me answers but…not like how a real person can. That's just reporting, and reposting facts." She lifted her eyebrows as she slid her hands into her pants pockets. "I kind of get tunnel vision of sorts when I want something."

"Don't we all?" Harrison asked with a short laugh. "So explain to me your fascination with this particle accelerator accident." He lifted an eyebrow. "You're not some reporter are you?"

"…Kind of," Averey replied after a moment of silence. "Hang on a tick." She lifted her finger in the air before turning to retrieve her abandoned bag. "I write a travel blog; _Averey's Adventures_. Kind of a lame name, I know, but I came to Central City almost a year ago, the night of the accident." She unzipped it and removed her folder of pictures, quickly flipping through it to find the picture of the night of the particle accelerator accident. "I took some pictures that night."

She held it out towards him, as she used her hand to zip her bag back up. Harrison drove his wheelchair over to her side, reaching out his free hand to take the picture from her. "Beautiful," he said shortly, barely glancing at the picture. "Yes, that night changed many lives." A muscle in his jaw twitched as he carefully caressed the glossy print with the pads of his fingers. "It's hard to believe a wonderful looking night as that could have turned out to be so…dark."

Averey shifted her weight from foot to foot as silence fell down around them. _What do you say to that? _She opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of something to say. But, he took that responsibility off her shoulders as he sucked in a slight breath of air. "Ms. Moore, have you happened to read the report by the Norris Commission about the particle accelerator accident?" he asked, shifting his gaze upwards, looking up at her without moving his head. The intensity in his gaze was now gone, replaced by a calm and serene look.

Averey cracked a wry smile. She hadn't exactly read it; more like skimmed. But, give her a page number and a paragraph and she could recall the memory at the flick of a switch and quote it word for word…from the excerpts she could find online and the random volume in the library. Barely any of it made sense to her, but she could remember it.

"I skimmed," she admitted.

Harrison let out a single laugh. "I don't expect just anyone to read that long manuscript," he said with a wry smile of his own. "I commend everyone that has and respectfully see their need for answers." His eyebrows lifted as a look of amusement crossed his face for a brief moment. "Truth be told, I don't know how many of those answers they were able to discern from that report."

He angled his wheelchair towards her just slightly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you," he said to her and Averey's eyebrows collided together in confusion, "not much for you to write about me for your blog. As well, I apologize for potentially giving you a hard hitting story that your other blog posts couldn't possibly live up to." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But then again, you did say you had to do research before coming over, or was that just to make me feel better? To butter me up by thinking you didn't know much about it."

Averey's eyebrows twitched as she let out a short, high pitched laugh. "With all due respect, I didn't come to Central City for the particle accelerator," she explained to him. "I'm…looking for someone."

Harrison blinked once, twice, three times. All traces of humor disappeared from his face. "All in all, I apologize for any damage I may have caused to you and this person you're looking for," Harrison said as he turned his wheelchair around, slowly gliding away from her.

His tone was final.

"You don't understand," Averey said, almost pleading. She took two quick steps towards him and licked her suddenly dry lips. "People are still talking about that, but I don't remember a _single thing_. The only thing I know…I know from research."

But, Harrison didn't answer. He didn't turn around. Their conversation was over.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Thank you for seeing me, sir," Averey said as she packed up her bag before swinging it onto her back. "I'm sorry for barging into your lab. It's ace, by the way."

"Thank you," Harrison replied, his back still to her.

"…That-that was a compliment," Averey called after him, reaching back behind her head to free her hair from the space between her back and her backpack.

"I know."

_All righty, then. _Averey jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Well, then, I'll be going," she announced, heading in the direction she had come in from.

"Ms. Moore, one last thing," Harrison called after her. Averey turned around to face him. Harrison wheeled his wheelchair around to face her. "Now that you've gotten me in tune to the lack of security around that end of STAR Labs, I can assure you that I'll be, uh, _keeping an eye out_ for any…problems."

Averey gave a slight nod of her head before continuing her way out of the large room, her shoes squeaking on the flooring, the sound echoing around the high ceilings. She stopped when the sound of footsteps reached her ears, coming from the direction she was headed in. She peered into the dark corridor ahead of her, slowly squinting her eyes. The edges of the corridor blurred as her focus sharpened, as if speeding down the hallway, and two silhouettes came into view. One was taller than the other, more curvy than the other, and walked with lighter, quick steps.

A man and woman.

As they stepped into the light, Averey got a good look at the two of them. The woman had on a form fitting dress with black short sleeves, the black portion outlining the side of her body, the inner portion filled in white with black pumps. Not that she really needed the heels, Averey observed, as she was already towering over her friend. He was dressed more laid back with a navy blue t-shirt layered over a gray long sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed back to his elbow, and tan pants sagging just slightly so the tops covered the tops of his gray sneakers.

The hallway blurred again before the two were at a distance again, coming towards her.

"Oh, Cisco, Dr. Snow," Harrison greeted the two with a small smile as he faced them. He extended his arm in Averey's direction. "Could you please escort our guest to the exit?"

"Certainly, Dr. Wells," the woman said with a nod of her head, parting her red lips jut slightly before stepping closer towards Averey, holding out her hand. "Hi, I'm Caitlin Snow." Averey slid her hand into Caitlin's and shook it. "And this is Cisco Ramon." She lifted her arched eyebrows. "And you are?"

"And when are you coming back?" Cisco asked with a grin, earning an elbow to the side from Caitlin. Her mouth formed a thin line and she shook her head from side to side, briefly looking up at the ceiling. "I mean…I'm sorry! It's very nice to meet you."

"G'day," Averey said with a nod of her head, turning her smile towards him as she shook his hand. "I'm Averey Moore." She adjusted her backpack on her back before giving a shrug of her shoulders. "I apologize for the quick introductions, but I have to get going."

"Right this way," Caitlin said, swinging her arms to the side, indicating with her hands the way out of the lab. Averey lifted her hands and pulled her hood up over her head, before reaching for the pocket of her backpack, removing her sunglasses. She was about to put them on, following Caitlin and Cisco out the way she came in when Harrison spoke up once more.

"Oh, and Ms. Moore," Harrison called after her, "I hope you find who you're looking for. Just keep your eyes open." Averey slowed her pace for a brief moment, turning to look at him over her shoulder. The smile, the twinkle in his eyes was back. "People have a way of suddenly appearing around here."

"Riiight," Averey muttered in reply, sliding the ends of her sunglasses over the curve of her ears. She didn't have to look at him to know he watched her fade into the shadows, following Cisco and Caitlin to the rear exit of STAR Labs.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank for taking the time to check out my story. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter and like the powers I gave Averey. Hope you continue reading.


	3. A Sight for Sore Eyes

**-Chapter Three-**

**"A Sight for Sore Eyes"**

Harrison pressed his lips together as he watched the light blue bar graphs on the monitor in front of him raised and fell as it tracked Barry Allen's energy readings they had recently recorded on the "Cisco-ed" treadmill. He would be surprised it hadn't caught fire by now with how fast Barry could run on it if Cisco hadn't worked on it and he hadn't seen just how much Central City had changed in a little under a year. To have been working with the fastest man he had ever set eyes on and yet have him always be tardy was a mystery to him. One he was willing to crack no matter what it took.

Rug burns didn't come close to describing the injuries Barry Allen could sustain from a single fall. Luckily for him he healed fast. If only Harrison's own back could do the same. He was doing everything in his power to try and get the jump on this certain scientific discovery; on what exactly Barry could do, how fast he could actually go. Not only would it put STAR Labs back on the map but it would, in turn, give him his good name back…and get Mercury Labs out of his mind as someone to worry about.

"He could be going faster," he whispered to himself. He could hear his knuckles popping as he tightened his grip around the hand rest of his wheelchair.

He sat back against the back cushion, letting out a sigh through his nose, shifting his gaze from the monitors to the dark treadmill room in front of him. Soon it would be bathed with light, keeping everyone's attention on the speeding young man as he helped them fully understand his capabilities. They just had to wait for him to arrive.

Like usual.

"This is the fastest he's managed to run so far, Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, leaning back in her chair, shifting her gaze from the monitor in front of her to the red blur on the treadmill. "I mean, more so than his top speed with Bette." She briefly glanced over at Cisco when he sniffed before letting out a sigh. She lifted her eyebrows before shifting her gaze back towards the older man. "It's small I'll admit, but, it's some improvement."

He slowly nodded at her words. "Be that as it may," Dr. Wells replied, sucking in a deep breath of air through his nose, "we haven't even begun to assess exactly what Barry can do. He hasn't put his mind to this and the more we have to wait for him, the less time we have to really learn just what that accident did to him."

"And we can't do that with Johnny-Come-Lately," Caitlin agreed, running her hands over her face before brushing her hair back behind her ears. She then turned towards Cisco, her hair swinging around her face, removing itself from behind her ears as she gave him smug look. "See? I can come up with names, too."

"You sure can, Cait," Cisco replied with a toothy smile, pointing the Twizzler in his hand in her direction before taking a bite out of it. Caitlin let out a huff of air, rolling her eyes.

"You know those are bad for you," Caitlin pointed out to him, sitting back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. She pointed a clear glossed nail polish covered fingernail at him. "There's 21 grams of sugar in there, has 160 calories per stick _and _because of how long it takes to eat, you trick your body into thinking you're full."

Cisco tilted his head back, letting out a laugh. "Caitlin, Caitlin, Caitlin." Cisco shook his head back and forth. "This may not be good for the body, but it's good for the soul."

Harrison let out a sigh through his nose before backing up his wheelchair from the computer tables. "Please let me know when Barry finally arrives," he said to their curious looks before making his way—as fast as the electric wheelchair would take him—towards the elevators of STAR Labs. As he waited for the cart to reach his floor, he did his best to ignore the faint argument his two employees were having.

It wasn't the most…practical argument they've had—it, admittedly, was one of the more entertaining ones—but things had changed since the particle accelerator accident. Caitlin had become more careful since the accident and made sure everybody around her was ok in body and mind. The death of her fiancé had done that to her. Whether or not she saw everybody as Ronnie, or she truly realized just how short life could be, that made her start to worry about others. To, in a way, be motherly towards everybody.

It was a nice quality to her, especially as a bioengineer, that he found admirable. After months of seeing her so haunted, and so…alone despite his and Cisco's presence, it was nice to see her smiling again and acting like her old self.

As he maneuvered himself into the elevator, and dictated which floor he wanted to be moved to, his smile slowly faded in time with the elevator doors sliding shut to be replaced by a quiet, serious gaze. A _humming _sound filled the air as the bright glow of the number floor 6, 5, 4, ticked past with a light _ding _before he stopped on level three.

The elevator doors opened and Harrison darted his tongue out between his lips, wetting them as he made his way out into the darkened hall. Only the _whirr_ of his wheelchair was heard echoing around the curving hallway, until he came to a stop in what looked like the center of the hall. Glancing back over his shoulder, Harrison felt his lips curl up into a smirk before he reached out his hand, placing it against the wall.

He watched as a light blue glow slid up and down the flat of his hand, scanning it before the wall opened, slowly pulling in on itself before a growing gap was wide enough to comfortably maneuver himself through. As soon as it closed behind him, he shifted his weight forward and pushed himself up into a standing position. Harrison let out a sigh as he stepped down to the ground stretching his arms out in front of him. He removed his glasses from his nose and tucked the arm band into the collar of his shirt as he tool steady steps towards the giant wall in front of him, the only one not covered in dark gray dots.

"Good morning, Gideon," Harrison said aloud, his deep timbre bouncing off every corner of the room as he placed his hand down onto the white dome on the pedestal that sat next to his hand. Squares in varying degrees of color dotted the wall before a face formed in the center. "Let's get started, shall we."

"Good morning, Dr. Wells," Gideon asked, the mouth on the pixilated face moving in time with the voice that seeped into the room. "What would you like me to do today?"

"I'd like to start a new log," Harrison replied, tugging on the bottom hem of his black sweater before he crossed his arms over his chest, pacing back and forth in front of the wall. "Call it a…_vision board _of sorts."

"And your previous log?"

Harrison pressed his lips together for a brief moment, his eyes falling shut. He squeezed his eyelids tightly together before he parted them, a groan rumbling jut slightly in the back of his throat at the bright lights shining from the pixilated wall.

"You know how important it is that I keep track of Barry Allen's progress and development here at STAR Labs, Gideon," Harrison replied in a tight voice. "This is in accordance to my other logs."

"Understood, Dr. Wells."

The picture in front of him changed to a long rectangle with that day's date flashing in it and off to the side what looked like a speech bubble, waiting to record whatever it was that he was going to say. "Start recording, please."

"Certainly."

"It seems that the particle accelerator has a wider reach than I truly knew or understood," Harrison said aloud, watching as his words appeared on the screen in front of him. "I know every single person who was killed by the particle accelerator accident, and have just started keeping track of the Metahumans, we have come across, but maybe I haven't been keeping track of the right people."

There was a long pause as Harrison lifted his hand and rubbed at his lips with his fingers. _Oh yes, I have been looking at the wrong people. _"Averey Moore came to STAR Labs the other day, and has made me aware that the reach of the particle accelerator was more than I had ever stopped to consider," he said after he parted his lips, making a popping sound as he did so. "Just how many people have been affected by the accident? Massive amounts of radiation, anti-matter, dark energy, x-elements, and who knows what else was dumped into the air affecting many in the area in different ways."

A deep chuckle rumbled in the back of Harrison's throat. He swung his arms down by his side, wiping his palms on the side of his dark pants. _In more ways than anyone could ever dream about_, he thought, rubbing his lips together. "The cards are starting to be laid out on the table for her," he mused aloud after a second pregnant pause, "how she decides to play her hand has yet to be seen." A smirk graced his lips.

"At least to others. Gideon, I'd like to take a step into the future." Gideon's face reappeared on the screen and blinked, waiting for the next prompt from him. "Please, if you would, search for me any and all references to Averey Moore."

"Of course, doctor."

Harrison lifted his hands and adjusted the collar of his shirt as he waited for the results to appear. A flickering light caught his eye and he lifted his head to see the results. As the number quickly climbed showcasing how many results there were, Harrison tilted his head back, a close lipped smug smile.

A single headline faced him in big, bold, glowing letters: _Former Gang Member to Receive City's Recognition_ _of Heroism_.

"Perfect." Harrison's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes…Ms. Moore." He let out a small breath of air. "I'm sure we're going to meet again very soon."

* * *

Barry Allen let out a long yawn as he stepped in through the front doors of Jitters. His eyes burned and he still felt a bit slow and sluggish despite how quickly he was moving that morning…and in all walks of life. His morning a day coffee habit probably wasn't the bet jolt to get him moving especially with how fast he could actually go. If it meant he'd actually get to wherever he needed to go on time, he'd take it.

Stepping to the back of the long line of customers, Barry, craned his neck to look around the…packed even more than usual coffee shop. He let out a sigh through his nose as he quickly and quietly counted how many people were ahead of him in line.

"I'm going to be late again." Barry groaned, sliding his fingers through his hair before clasping his hands behind the back of his head. "Joe and Dr. Wells are going to kill me."

The African American woman in front of him muttered something he couldn't make out and shook her head back and forth, her stick straight spinal column and weight pressing down on her heels indicating her annoyance and frustrations.

"Hey, Barry."

All his worry and frustration instantly disappeared the second he caught a glimpse of Iris's face as she made her way down the light, apologizing to everybody waiting in line. Whether or not he would end up being late—which he was being known for more and more these days—it didn't hurt that he got to see Iris every morning.

"Hey, Iris," Barry greeted his long time friend with a warm smile. "It's pretty busy this morning I see."

"No kidding," Iris said, rubbing a hand over her face before briefly glancing at the ceiling. Her nose wrinkled as she made her familiar "I'm annoyed, but I need to hold it together" face, causing Barry's smile to widen. "I mean, when is it not, but today…it's a whole other story. We've got two new hires training today, Averey and the new guy named Dayton."

_That makes sense. _Barry watched as the workers behind the counter rushed back and forth shouting orders at each other. Coffee spills lined the counter, being wiped away as quickly as they could be attended to, the baristas were practically all on top of each other, trying to get orders filled to cut down the wait time for those who ordered "to go" all the while tending to the patrons eating in the sitting area.

"So, uh, what happened?" Barry asked.

"Some drop kick came and messed up the registers," Averey huffed as she rushed past, a plate of blueberry muffins and a crumb cake in her hand. "Was a bit of a weirdo, hey?"

"Nooo," Iris protested. Barry lifted an eyebrow in her direction. Her should sagged as she let out a breath of air, giving a half smile as she changed her tune. "Ok, he did kind of look like he was on something."

"I'm still not seeing the connection to the registers?" Barry said as more of a question.

"All I'm saying is after he came in and ordered, things went wonky," Averey replied, putting her hands on her hip, her face contorting into a wince as she jabbed herself in the hip with her pen.

"The place is running on generators, but the registers are shot," Iris explained. "Won't be fixed until later so we have to do everything by hand."

"And here I thought sitting through my maths classes was bad enough," Averey concluded, lifting her pen to stick it in her hair, "we have to do everything by hand. I mean, who _does _that?" She shook her head back and forth. "Just what I needed during O-week."

"Relax, you're picking things up so fast," Iris said, giving the girl a warm smile, placing a hand on the new employee's shoulder. "Way faster than I ever did."

"Yeah, I still haven't forgotten Coffee-gate," Barry muttered, earning a warning look from Iris. He laughed as Iris curled her fingers into a fist, punching him on the arm. He scrunched his face up into a look of pain before grabbing at the throbbing area. "Ow."

"That didn't hurt, you baby," Iris said with a roll of her eyes, joining in his laughter. Averey looked back and forth between the two old friends, her lips pulling back into a half smile, half smirk, revealing her teeth.

Barry blinked once, twice, three times as he peered over at the Australian. _Why is that…so familiar_? He was sure he had seen that smile somewhere before, but he couldn't pinpoint where. "I'm sorry," he said, to Averey when he noticed the weird look she was giving him for staring, "have we met before? I mean, I know we did a couple days ago, but before that?"

"Naw, I don't believe so," Averey replied, shaking her head back and forth, strands of her hair ending up across her nose. She twisted her mouth to the side before puffing out her cheek as she blew a breath of air upwards to knock it loose. She peered at him, angling her head downwards just slightly. "Barry, right?" Barry nodded his head. "No, I'd remember meeting you." She shrugged her shoulders. "As long as I see it, I don't forget things."

"Besides, with how great you are, how could she forget someone like you?" Iris said, giving Barry a wide smile.

Barry's lips twitched upwards into a smile of his own, but he could only hold it for so long. She hadn't forgotten Barry Allen "the best friend", or Barry Allen "the sort-of-brother", but she had, in a way, forgotten about Barry Allen "the man". Not that he could blame her for moving forward with her life while he was in a coma for nine months.

He wouldn't have wanted her to spend every day worrying about him, even thought he knew she did to some degree. He could only sit back and be happy that someone else was making her the happiest he had seen her; even if he had to work with her boyfriend every day. He could still remember the way she had referred to him as Detective Pretty Boy when she first saw Eddie Thawne.

Only he couldn't pinpoint, at the time, in what way she was referring to him as that. Attraction? Curiosity? Disdain? Things had changed more than he realized or could ever imagine in those nine months.

"I hope you haven't forgotten that you're still on the _clock_," the African American worker said with a show of shaking her head. Averey cringed before hurrying back to her position behind the counter, nearly colliding with Tracey who was walking out with her fingers wrapped around a steaming mug repeating, "_Ow, ow, ow_" as she went, before stepping up to Dayton who looked frazzled as he practically shrieked, "What am I supposed to do?" Iris let out a sigh, suddenly looking tired.

"I'm sure things will move more quickly once you've gotten through the morning rush," Barry reassured her before Iris mumbled that she had to get back to work. He watched her go before looking around the coffee shop. Once he was sure no one was watching him, he sped off, quickly making the coffee orders of those in line, and leaving tips before moving back to his spot at the end.

"Whoa."

"What?"

"How did-? What just happened?"

He smiled to himself as he stepped up to the counter, watching as the confused patrons walked out with their drink orders. Averey blinked rapidly as she looked down at the notepad in her hand, confusion written over her face. And…fear?

"Everything ok?" Barry asked. "You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I saw..."Averey trailed off before giving a quick shake of her head. "I thought I saw _something_." An uncertain look spread across her face, her eyebrows angling towards each other. "Something red. Maybe?"

Barry froze, feeling a chill roll down his spine. "I…" His words died on his lips as he peered over at her. He reached up a hand to scratch at his hairline, hiding the look of worry that was on his face. _No. She couldn't have… _"Uhh." _I-I was moving too fast. _

He put a hand to his stomach. He wasn't hungry, so he wasn't moving that slow. He moved fast enough to make at least 20 eggs and 10 pieces of toast to scarf down on his way out the door. It was a wonder he was able to keep his metabolism up consistently. Not that it had gone unnoticed. Not only had Iris brought it up every now and then, especially when he ordered larger sizes of his go to comfort food of French fries. Joe helped keep up the façade with comments about how he was a growing boy and with his growing passion for running he needed to eat more. Which wasn't that far from the truth, but if there was anyone he wanted to tell his secret to, it was Iris West.

"All right?"

"Yeah, yep," Barry repeatedly nodded his head, "perfect."

Averey hiked an eyebrow before putting a smile on her face and said in an over the top American accent, which sounded more Southern, "On behalf of Jitters, I apologize for the delay and hope you have a wonderful day." She removed the pen from her hair and tapped the end against her notepad. "How ya going? What would you like to order?"

Barry opened and closed his mouth, trying not to laugh. "Was that the best American accent you could manage?" he asked.

"I'm working on it," Averey replied, her lips twitching. Her eyebrows shot up, eyes widening just slightly. "Order? Are you going to place one? I have a job to do."

"Yeah, I'm going to be late," Barry said with a sigh through his nose, briefly closing his eyes. "Again." His chest swelled as he sucked in a deep breath of air, drumming his fingers on the counter top. "Amiercano with caramel, white chocolate, and whipped cream, please."

"You got it," Averey replied before turning towards the machine behind the counter to make his order. "So, what's this job you're seemingly in a rush to get to?"

"I'm a forensic assistant at the police department," Barry explained. He chuckled at the look of horror that briefly crossed her face. "That never gets old." He reached for his wallet and started counting out his money. "You get used to it after a while."

"I'll bet," Averey said, deadpan before hunching over her notepad, quickly writing down his total with tax. "I'll put a rush on your order then so I won't make you that much later for work, hey?"

"Thanks." Barry handed over the money and Averey quickly counted out the change, handing it back to him before ripping off the top, writing covered, sheet of her notepad before setting it down beneath the counter. She then retrieved his drink, fitted a plastic top on the cup and slid a cardboard sleeve up around it.

"Hey, you pass by the library on the way to the police department, right?" Averey asked him as Barry lifted his coffee to his mouth. He sucked in a mouthful of steam from the opening in the top before setting it back down on the counter with a nod.

"Why?" he asked.

"I don't get off on break for a while—I had to work through my first one this morning, but I always bring the security guard at the library, Sal, a coffee every morning," Averey replied before putting her hands up in the air. "You don't have to do it, it's just a suggestion, and I'd pay for the coffee myself, but—"

"Sure, I'll give it to him for you," Barry replied.

"Are you sure?" Averey asked. "I don't want you to be any more late for your job." She then reached out a hand and smacked the side of the register. "If this bloody thing would just work…"

"I'll be fast," Barry replied with a peaceful smile. "Don't worry." He lifted his coffee to his mouth and took a long sip, smiling as the mixture of bitter and sweet tastes combined together on his tongue. As he swallowed, he could feel a line of heat travel down into his stomach, warming him from the inside out; a shield against the cooling Central City temperatures.

"Thanks for the help," Averey said as she handed Barry a brown Jitters bag. "And it was great seeing you again."

"You too," Barry replied, saluting her with her beverage before making his way towards the door. "I'll see you later, Iris."

Iris set an empty mug onto her tray at the table nearest the door and gave him a bright smile. "You're still going to meet me later, right?" she asked. Barry blinked in her direction. "Remember? I'm taking you shopping." She pushed her tray against her waist as she walked over to him before pinching at the fabric of his shirt. She pulled it away from his skin before releasing it, watching as the fabric settled back into place. "I'm surprised you still have clothes to fit your frame."

Barry tilted his head back in a groan. "What's wrong with my clothes?" he asked. "I hate shopping. You girls take forever. Just go in, find what you want, pay and leave."

"Well, looks who's all about the speed nowadays," Iris replied, lifting an eyebrow in amusement. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeahhhh," Barry replied, holding out the word. He scrunched up his face before giving her a smile. "I'll meet you after your shirt."

"That's all I ask." Iris beamed, patting his shoulder as she passed before Barry used his back to push open the doors, stepping out into the bustling sidewalk traffic. He took another sip of his coffee before looking up, down, and across the street. Once he was sure no one was paying any attention to him, he sped off down the street, coming to a stop just down the street from the library.

_And it's still nice and warm_, Barry thought to himself with a proud smile. His shoes crunched over the loose rocks on the sidewalk. He whistled to himself as he made his way up the sidewalk and up a short set of brick stairs to the man standing outside the large glass doors.

"Hi, Sal?" Barry asked the man. Sal lifted his eyebrows in his answer, giving a nod of his head as Barry held the bag out towards him. "I'm Barry. Averey was swamped a t work and asked me to bring your coffee to you."

"Oh, that's nice of her." Sal beamed, revealing a gap toothed grin as he took the bag. He unraveled the top and reached his hand inside for the drink. His head barely lifted as Sal looked up at Barry through his long fringe. "She's been here a lot looking up that night." He then straightened, looking Barry in the eye. "I'm sorry about what happened to your family. If it means anything, I know your dad wouldn't do what they say he did."

Barry opened and closed his mouth. He didn't want to talk about it. He was tired of talking about it and feeling like people were taking pity on him. This may not be the first time someone had supported him and his family, but it was the first time in a long time it was actually said to his face. He had endured the whispers and points and knew over time learned how to turn a blind eye towards it all.

Now he had no choice but to face it and see it with his own eyes.

"You seem to be one of the only other people that think that," Barry muttered to himself.

"Well," Sal said as he used his leg to crush the Jitters bag into a ball, "from what I've gathered over the years, it doesn't matter how many people are on your side as long as you have someone there. Even if it takes a while for people to decide to do it, the important thing is that they got there in the end."

"I guess," Barry said with a shrug. He tapped his fingernails on the cardboard sleeve before lifting his coffee to his mouth. He swallowed gulp after gulp, ignoring the tear inducing heat as it slid down the back of his throat.

"You guess," Sal repeated, with a short laugh. He looked up at the tall brick building and made a clicking sound with his tongue. "I remember when you used to hide out in the library, trying to hide out from those boys that would chase after you."

Barry slowly lowered his coffee, his eyebrows twitching together. Sal let out a deep, wheezy laugh, slapping his knee before reaching up his hand to scratch the side of his jaw. "You always kept running and I always thought; that boy is going to get the jump on them one day. He's going to be one fast little boy. Shoot, you'd run in here so fast, I'd barely have any time to get the door open before you get there."

Barry bowed his head, a small laugh shaking his shoulders. As he grew more and more tired, trying to reach home as fast as he could, he'd stop in the closest building to him and hide. A breathless "Sorry" would be tossed out of his throat said as loud as he could manage at the time.

"_You'll outrun everybody before you know it, kid. Just don't leave everyone that cares about you behind._"

Barry's lips slowly formed the words as he recalled them. "Ah, you remember," Sal said, a twinkle coming to his eye.

Everyone that knew him knew he stayed in Central City to be there when enough evidence was found to prove his father's innocence. In the mean time, if he couldn't personally get the closure by his own accord, he wanted to help others get theirs.

Forensics wasn't something he had always thought of as a career, but if he could find evidence on crimes that no one else could, it gave him hope that someone could do the same for his mother's case. Or that he would have the courage to do it for himself. He could only go over the information he knew for so long before taking action himself.

His mom.

Work.

STAR labs!

_Shoot! _Barry glanced at his watch before looking around wildly before setting his eyes back on the man in front of him. "Sal?" Barry asked and the older man blinked, a curious look crossing his face. "Thank you. I never said it before."

Sal winked, tilting his head downwards just slightly, before pulling open the large glass door, heading inside and Barry hurried off to get to work.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm sooooooo sorry for the almost month long wait. I re-did this chapter a couple of times and finally ended on this. It's a bit of a filler chapter, but it's a chapter nonetheless. Thanks to everyone who's checked out the story so far.

Also check out the Flash stories _Flash Fire _(on this account) and _The Mark of Sage_ (on the Crystal Manning account).


	4. I Have My Reasons

**-Chapter Four-  
"I Have My Reasons"**

"You believe all the other crazy things that happen around this city, but you won't believe me?" Averey hiked an eyebrow in Casey's direction before turning her computer around on the kitchen table. She tapped her fingernail against the screen. "See? Another blackout this week with another mention of this mysterious guy. The mysterious guy who can shoot lightning from his hands!"

"It's not that I don't believe you, hon," Casey replied, wrapping her fingers around her coffee mug. She lifted it to her nose and took in a deep whiff, smiling. "It's just that it's hard to believe it happened to someone I know."

"Besides, we work with the impossible every day," Gavin said, turning away from the stove. He pushed the bubbling skillet away from him as the smell of bacon hit the air. "A headline like that is nothing to bat an eyelash at." His lips pulled down in the corners. "With how fast The Flash is, I wonder how he hasn't caught the guy yet. I mean, no normal person can shoot lighting from their fingers."

"You know, I was wondering the same thing," Casey said, setting her mug down, pointing her finger over at her roommate. "He's quick to get all the other freaks out there." She shook her head back and forth. "This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for that particle accelerator."

Averey made a humming sound in the back of her throat as she reached for her abandoned bowl of sugary cereal. Her loud and excited exclamation of "Frosties!" in the supermarket after first arriving in the states had garnered lots of stares. As she took a bite, Brent Williams shuffled into the kitchen, running the palm over his hand over the untidy swoop of his tapered hair.

"Hey, you were excited for its launch, too," Brent said, shooting Casey a smirk. His eyebrows lifted as he lowered his thin frame into one of the last two empty chairs. "You had countdown calendars on all our doors."

He cleared his throat, trying to break up the gravelly tone in his voice due to sleep. He had worked late the night before at Mercury Labs and even his seven hours of sleep didn't make him look any more rested than how he looked when he came back to the apartment.

"And you stalked every news outlet for information about it," Gavin said over his shoulder. He switched off the flame under the skillet in his hand. He joined the three at the table and set a plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns and a fork down in front of Brent. Gavin set his own plate-with smaller portions-down in front of him.

"It was my first big assignment," Casey replied, her voice getting high pitched in her defense. She gave a shrug of her shoulders, lifting her foot up into her chair, hugging it to her chest. "Just wait until _you_ get one, Gav." She then put her attention on Averey. "After working at Mercury Labs for a while you get a big assignment to work on."

Averey pointed a finger in Brent's direction. He was slumped in his seat, lifting his eyebrows to try and keep his eyes open. "Is he going to look like that?" she asked, feeling her eyebrows slant towards each other.

"Mmm, worse," Casey said, with a teasing smile. She lifted Averey's computer from the table, her arms shaking as she held it up. "But, that's only because he already looks hideous enough as it is." Brent let out a snort-laugh before he lifted his fork and started to shovel food into his mouth. It took Averey a while to get used to the portion size of foods, but Brent ate even more than that.

"Ha, ha." Gavin wrinkled his nose before he took a loud bite of his strip of bacon. Averey let out a loud laugh as she reached for her computer.

"Whose hat is that?" Brent asked, his eyes flickering towards the screen before dropping back down towards his plate.

Averey frowned, setting her computer down onto the table. "Whose hat is—what?" As her computer was passed back to her the webpage was minimized and her background image—a scan of the old, faded picture she always carried around with her—was revealed.

Casey jumped out of her seat and peered over Brent's shoulder. She bowed her head, letting out a huff. "You carry that old picture around with you all the time and you have it as your background?" she asked. Averey ignored her.

Brent wiped his hands off on his sweatpants before turning the computer towards him. Averey let out a shriek before leaning over the table to reach the napkins, shoving it into his hands. "No smudges! Wipe your hands!"

Brent blinked, staring at the napkin in his hands, before wiping the pads of his fingers into the napkin. Once done, he tossed it onto the table and pointed at the computer screen. "This hat." He lifted his eyebrows, his hazel eyes widening. "You never noticed it before?"

Averey leaned over in her seat and looked at where he was pointing. Right between her mom and dad's shoulders, a navy hat floated clutched by long fingers . "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered, turning her computer back towards her. "Nah, I've never noticed that." She squinted at the small print lettering on the front of the hat. _Central City Boat Tour, huh?_

"And you say you have an eye for detail," Gavin commented with a small laugh. He got to his feet as the phone rang and moved to answer it.

"I do." Averey put her face in her hands before pulling them back from her face. "I don't believe this." She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. "All this time, and I never noticed a stupid hat in this picture!" She felt Gavin press the phone to her ear and she cradled it with her shoulder. "H'llo?"

"Averey?"

Averey sat up in her seat, her eyes widening. A wave of heat rushed over her body bringing a prickle of sweat to her armpits. She shot a glare in Gavin's direction before saying in the most chipper tone she could muster, "Hey, mum! How you going?"

"I'd be better if you answered the phone more." Averey was sure the muscle in her mother's jaw was twitching with how far forward she pushed it. She could imagine her mom's quick pace from the sun room, through the kitchen and to the dining room before retracing her steps. "I know you're in Central City."

Averey sucked in a breath of air through her nose before kicking Gavin hard in the shin. His face contorted with pain as he bent to rub the sore spot. He grit his teeth, shooting her an annoyed look before going back to his breakfast. "You've been avoiding her calls," he hissed. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Hang. Up. I got her to let me come to the U.S., but she doesn't know that I'm in Central City," Averey snapped, covering the mouthpiece of the phone with her hand.

"Why is that bad?" Casey asked. Brent shrugged. Averey didn't answer as she turned her attention back to the phone call.

She was expecting this call. She had to have put up the blog post about Jitters sooner or later; Iris was expecting it. After having gone out of the way get permission to take pictures at the coffee place she'd have to show an end product at some point. Her mom had always kept close tabs on her, why would it change overseas?

"I can't believe you didn't tell me what you were planning."

"You've got to admit, I had you going for a while there, hey?" Averey asked, dropping her hand into her lap.

"Averett Moore—" Averey slumped in her chair, bowing her head just slightly, "I can't believe you would trick me into letting you move overseas. I s'pose you planned on going there this whole time!" There was a thumping sound. "I can't believe you snooped through my things, too. Don't think I didn't notice you knicked some of my stuff, either."

"Mum. Mum!" Averey sighed, massaging her forehead with her finger tips. "I only did it because if you knew I was going to Central City you wouldn't have let me go."

"You're right, I wouldn't have. I am fuming. Daniel and I have been worried sick." A long sigh came through the phone. "You could've at least answered our phone calls or texts more often. Your father and I raised you better than that."

"_Step_ father," Averey corrected her as she got out of her set. "Don't get aggro on me, mum." She grabbed her half-empty bowl and set it in the sink. She turned on the water, watching as he soggy frosted corn flakes floated out of the top and into the bottom of the sink before she shut it off. "I just wanted to learn more about my dad—my real dad—and you wouldn't let me."

"And you think running off would help?" Relief flooded her mom's voice despite keeping the angry tone. "I'm glad to know you're ok, but, you're lucky Daniel's not here right now." Averey jutted out her jaw before pressing her lips together. Her mom could put her foot down when she needed to, but she still tried to keep a close and friendly relationship with her only child. Her step-father on the other hand wasn't afraid to lay down the law. "There are things about your father you don't know, Averey."

"And now that I'm trying to have a relationship with him, you're taking it all away." Averey threw her free hand in the air. She headed out of the kitchen and was halfway up the stairs when she heard the door bell ring. "Again, mum."

"Averey—"

_Ok, you asked for it._ She allowed her bottom lip to quiver and lowered her tone. "You don't think after all these years I deserve to know about him?" she asked. "You never answered my questions about him. I just want to find my own answers."

"I have my reasons, Averey."

_That clearly didn't work._ "And I have mine." She could stand her ground about things, too. "I'll call you later, promise. Love you." Averey removed the phone from her ear and jabbed her thumb into the red button to end the call. She stepped over to the front door and pulled it open, half expecting to see her mother standing on the front porch.

A frown came to Averey's lips as the tops of her eyes started to throb. She stepped back just slightly into the dim foyer, using her forefinger and thumb to try and massage the ache away. A man wearing a tan hat gave her an odd look.

"Delivery," the man said, holding a package out to her with a clipboard sitting on top. Averey reached for it, jumping back a moment later as he shoved it into her chest. She caught herself on the door as the rug slipped on the linoleum flooring. "I have the right address ma'am. Just sign here."

"Yeah, no worries," Averey replied, taking the pen. She jotted down her name and he took the clipboard and bounded down the concrete stairs. Pushing the door shut with her foot, she looked over the label. Casey's name sat on top with the correct right address and…a red eight sat in the top left hand corner over the return address. "Case; it's for you."

"Thanks." Casey jumped to her feet, her chair scraping against the flooring, to retrieve the package. "I've been waiting for this." She then turned a curious look over to her friend. "Y'ok? Didn't sound like a pleasant phone call."

Averey did feel bad about how she handled herself with her mom. She wanted to immediately call back and apologize for being so stubborn and for lying about her intentions in the first place. She wouldn't do that until she got all the answers; then they could talk it out. "Yeah, I'm fine." She nodded her head, scratching at her hairline. "But, I'm going to be late for work."

"You really didn't tell your parents you were coming here?" Brent asked, looking more wide awake then before.

"She wasn't giving me answers about my dad," she replied, reaching for her computer. "And if I want something, I make sure I get it, no matter what." The click of her computer closing punctuated her statement.

* * *

Barry came to a slow stop on the STAR Labs Cisco-ed treadmill, reaching for the white, fluffy towel that hung across the arm. His heart bounced against his rib cage and sweat caused his t-shirt to stick to his body. He slapped the palms of his hands down onto the heart monitoring sensors, curling his fingers over the cool metal.

He watched the lime green squares on the screen form the shape of a heart before disappearing. The green squares formed a message: DATA RECEIVED. Barry laughed to himself. A part of him wondered what the treadmill would read if it wasn't connected to the monitors on the other side of the wall.

The three STAR Labs workers were some of the smartest people that Barry had met. A part of him was just a bit concerned that they didn't have all of the answers as to what was going on with his body. They had been working on the particle accelerator before the accident for crying out loud. The other part of him knew that he couldn't get answers just because he wanted them. Especially on something that seemed so impossible.

"Phew." He let out a breath of air, throwing the towel over his head. He pressed the white cloth to his face, wiping the sweat that dripped down from his hairline. He slowly lowered himself onto the plastic siding, stretching his legs out in front of him. "How was that?" He gulped down a big breath of air. "Any faster?"

He looked up at the large window sitting across from him and over at Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco who were staring back at him from their seats. "Barry, it's important while you're here that you're focused on what it is we're trying to accomplish," Dr. Well's soft, calculated voice came through the rounded speakers in the room.

Barry fought the urge to roll his eyes. He could only take hearing the words "I need more speed" so many times before he got tired of it. He was the fastest man on earth but he could only go so fast. He was focused on getting faster; especially if it meant that the trio could let him know what was going on with his body or what he could expect in the future.

"More speed" he mouthed along with Dr. Wells as he draped the towel around his neck. He blinked in surprise at the sudden silence and lifted his head to look up at Dr. Wells. He pressed his lips together as he watched the older man slowly blink before lifting his hand to remove the glasses from his face.

Barr felt like he had been singled out by a teacher. And not in the way he was used to.

Cisco looked back and forth from Dr. Wells to Barry with wide eyes. He slumped in his seat just slightly, twiddling his thumbs, as if trying to avoid the tension that started crowding the vast room. Caitlin looked uncomfortable, her dark eyes darting around the room as if she was looking for an escape. She pulled a stack of papers towards her, lifting a pen and starting to record results.

"Is something bothering you, Barry?" Dr. Wells asked, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Barry parted his lips, a low "Uhhh" tumbling out of his mouth. A small popping sound hit the air as Dr. Wells spoke through the silence. "It's evident that something is on your mind hindering you today."

"Not just today," Caitlin added quietly. "For the past few days, too."

"Mmhm." Cisco nodded.

"It's…nothing," Barry replied, shaking his head back and forth. He draped his arms on his knees for a moment before slowly getting to his feet. His cells could regenerate quickly, but there were days where he felt the after effects of all the exertion on his body. "Just something I was told. It doesn't matter."

He bit down on his bottom lip as soon as the words were out of his mouth. As if he could just dismiss his past like that. He had talked to Sal days before and still those words were hanging over his head. It was what he lived for, and he knew that all the experiments and all the tests would somehow help him find his mother's killer. In the meantime, he could keep citizens of Central City safe from something, anything, happening to them.

"Everything we do here matters," Dr. Wells reminded him, "and what we do here asks for every bit of our attention." He looked over at Caitlin and Cisco before sliding his glasses back on his nose. "I can see you're not into this at the moment so I'm not going to push you. But, to answer your question, you are improving. This just takes time."

"Time that adds up," Caitlin added. She talked quickly as if she knew she'd get in trouble. Barry looked over at her as she ducked her head, going back to what she was doing. Barry shifted his gaze over to Cisco and lifted an eyebrow.

Cisco shrugged his shoulders before leaning forward in his seat. He dragging the microphone sitting in front of Caitlin over in front of his mouth. Caitlin frowned in annoyance as he did so. "Not that she's nagging or anything," he said. Caitlin's frown deepened before she let out a gasp, grabbing the chord of the microphone, pulling it back towards her.

"Every minute he's not here means that we're missing out on numerous things we could be discovering about him, and about metahumans, and how the particle accelerator could have affected so many people in Central City," Caitlin said, giving Cisco a hard stare. His eyes widened slightly and he seemed to shrink back in his chair.

"Ok, you need to relax a bit, Cait," he said after a moment of silence. "It was just a joke."

Caitlin's lips twitched upwards into a flash of a smile. "You're normally funnier than that," she commented. Cisco stuck his tongue out at her, his upper lip curling.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

"Maybe that's enough for today," Dr. Well announced. He lifted his hand and beckoned Barry. "You can get out of there now, Barry." Barry hung his head for a moment before he pulled himself to his feet, heading out of the monitoring room. "It's obvious we're not going to get much done today."

"Sorry, Dr. Wells," Caitlin muttered, tapping her pen against the back of her hand.

"Yeah, sorry," Cisco repeated. He inched his hand across the desktop and slowly pulled a single piece of the candy out of the back, shoving it into his mouth.

"That's quite alright," Dr. Wells said, accepting their apology. "There's still data ollected today I can analyze so there is something I can do today to avoid Cisco wanting a movie marathon." His lips parted into a half smile as he shifted his gaze over to the youngest STAR Labs worker.

Cisco pointed his finger at Dr. Wells as he bit down on the red candy. He chewed on the piece in his mouth before pointing the spit covered candy in the older man's direction. Caitlin made a face, putting her hand in the air to fend off the germs. "Hey, I'm going to make that happen, Buddy," he promised. "I've always said that you need to get out more."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but not everybody would be too happy having me around," Dr. Wells replied. The smile never left his face. Barry, however, noticed the light of amusement dim in his eyes. He had noticed over the years just how fast Dr. Well's name had left the media on good terms. He also noticed how little he left STAR Labs apart from traveling to and from home.

Barry could relate in some ways. There were times he didn't want to leave the house because he was known by everyone as the kid whose father murdered his mom. Once it was in the media, anybody could make their own judgments on the situation. When it came down to it, the minute the word "murder" was uttered, his father was guilty in the eyes of Central City. And no one would change their minds.

"What about you, Barry?" Cisco asked. Barry blinked and gave him a confused look, not even bothering to pretend that he was listening to what his friend had to say. "Want to go to the bar after work?" His lips twitched as he caught his mistake. "To play darts?"

Barry chuckled. He had a feeling that today was going to be one of the days where a drink would help him out. "I would, but I can't," he replied." Iris says she's taking me clothes shopping after work. Apparently, I've slimmed down yet bulked up enough that my clothes aren't fitting me that well anymore."

Cisco made a tisking sound with his tongue, shaking his head back and forth. "They'd do better if they made their clothes out of the material used to make your suit," he said, a smug look crossing his face. "It forms to your body perfectly no matter the size."

"Then no one would want to go out and buy more clothes," Caitlin reminded him. Cisco's frown faded just slightly.

"Oh yeah." He shrugged his shoulders and Barry laughed. Despite working in such a serious job, Barry was glad that Cisco was so laid back and fun loving. Cisco was the type to walk into any room and have everyone relaxed and

"Well, I guess…" The words died from his lips as his phone started ringing. Loud vibrations hitting the air as it shook against the tabletop it was sitting on. "Who is it, Cisco?"

"Uhhh." Cisco pushed his chair back from the table and got to his feet, reaching for Barry's phone as he made his way out of the examination room. "It's Joe."

Barry lifted his hand, signaling for Cisco to throw it to him, and caught his phone against his chest. After quickly checking the caller ID, he dragged his thumb across the face plate and lifted his phone to his ear to talk to Joe West. "Hey, Joe?" he asked. "What's up?"

"You better get down here, now," Detective Joe West's deep timbre came through the phone. "You're going to want to see this. We've got a body."

"All right." He lifted his head to give Dr. Wells an apologetic look, but the older man had already turned away. Barry let out a sigh through his nose. "I'm on my way."

"Just go," Caitlin said as Barry ended the call after Joe gave him the location of the crime. "Dr. Wells will be fine. We just really want to fully understand what's going on with you, that's all."

"Right." Barry gave a nod of his head. "See you later." Barry zoomed out of STAR Labs, gathered his work kit from home and shot across the city. As he came to the crime scene, he slowed to a jog. He made his way through a back alley, leading into an open clearing surrounded by buildings. A yellow tarp lay in the center of the clearing.

"Let me warn you, what's underneath that tarp isn't the prettiest thing in the world." Barry set his bag down on the ground before he turned to face Joe West, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Given this line of business…?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Joe's eyes widened just slightly. "Mhmmm."

Barry stepped closer to the tarp, taking notice of the four black lines etched into the concrete. He squatted, removed a pair of gloves form his jeans pockets and slid his hands into them. Barry took a deep breath and lifted a corner of the tarp to peer underneath, dropping it a second later. _Oh my god_. He straightened, turning wide eyes over to Joe.

"Tried to warn you," Joe muttered, with a sigh. He angled his head to the side. "That woman over there was the one to call it in." He started walking in the direction he indicated and Barry fell into step beside him. "Said she was on her way to work."

Barry followed his gaze and slowed his pace when he recognized the dark haired girl. "Averey?" he asked. The woman looked up from her phone and locked eyes with him.

"Barry," she greeted him with a nod, lifting her hand to block the sun from her face, despite the dark sunglasses perched on her nose. "What are you doing here?" She then lifted a hand and bopped herself on the forehead. "Forensic assistant, right."

Barry angled his head downwards in a nod. "Jitters isn't near here," he said to her. "Joe said you were on your way to work?"

"I was taking the scenic route," Averey replied. She turned her head to the side and muttered something that Barry could only catch the word, "boat" out of. "Saw the guy-or girl-lying here and came to look."

"So, what happened here?" Barry gave Detective Eddie Thawne a small wave in greeting as he stepped up to the two of them. "Barry. Joe."

"Officer Thawne." A smile appeared on Averey's face. She clasped her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Great to see you again."

Barry looked back and forth between Eddie and Averey, both of whom clearly recognized each other. Joe looked just as confused as Barry felt. Eddie cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "It's Detective Thawne, actually," he replied. He sniffed, putting his hands on his hips.

"You got a promotion!" Averey pressed her lips together, her eyebrows shifting upwards over the top of her sunglasses. "That's great."

"At least this meeting is on better terms," Eddie said with a slow blink. "I guess."

"Wait," Joe said, putting his hands up in the air. He closed his eyes for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest. "How do you two know each other?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering that, too," Barry replied.

"We had a run in before I left Keystone," Eddie replied. He let the sentence hang in the air and Barry put his gaze back on Averey who grimaced, reaching up a hand to scratch her ear.

Silence stretched over them. Averey twisted her mouth to the side, dropped her arm, and said, "He was the officer who arrested me when I lived in Keystone."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for everyone checking out my story and sticking with it between my gaps in updating.

_Guest: _Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep that in mind while moving forward.

_Guest: _Barry and Averey will have their stories converge sooner than you think.

_babyj: _Glad you're enjoying the story so far and thanks for letting me know about the block of text. Averey will meet up with the rest of the STAR Labs team again real soon.


	5. Jeepers Creepers, dude

**-Chapter Five-**

**"Jeepers Creepers, dude."**

"Wait…you were arrested?" Averey could practically see the gears turning in Barry's head as he looked back and forth between the two adults. "By _Eddie_?" Detective Thawne shot him a look and Barry's eyes widened—the gears started spinning faster. Her nose twitched and as if they were waiting to smell the fumes from his mind at work. "Not…not that you wouldn't or aren't _capable _of arresting someone. I mean—" He gave a weak thumbs up, "you're doing a _great _job here."

"Thanks, Barry," Eddie replied, briefly closing his eyes, letting out a sigh through his nose. Barry instantly clammed up, his eyebrows lifting before he adopted her previous movement and started rocking back and forth on his feet.

"Wait," Detective West said, gaining Averey's attention. She reached up her hand and adjusted her sunglasses, using the side of her pinky finger to wipe the sweat from the sides of her nose. "I'm having trouble following you, here."

"She was arrested for petty theft," Detective Thawne explained, clearing his throat. "She and some of her friends stole some shoes."

Averey grit her teeth, pulling her lips back into a tight smile before relaxing the muscles in her face. "I told you a hundred times that it wasn't my fault," she explained. "I thought they were already paid for so I walked out."

"With them on your feet," Detective Thawne added.

Averey blinked rapidly before nodding her head. "Ok…yes, I can see why that would look bad," she explained, "but that's what happened. I went shopping with my friends and when I went to the dressing room, one of them said they'd pay for them and then convinced me to wear them out."

"Yeah, only they more or less ran out of the store, her shoes triggered an alarm, and they got busted evading the police on scene." Detective Thawne lifted his hand and scratched at his eyebrows before pinching the bridge of his nose. He then turned to talk to Detective West. "We had been following her and her friends for a while at the time. We thought—"

"Hang on," Averey said, cutting him off. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You were following me?"

"And your friends," Detective Thawne insisted, his voice getting higher pitched just slightly. His eyes widened and his lips parted as he gave a single, soft, laugh. "We had good reason; we thought your friends were part of the Royal Flush Gang and was recruiting you. That's partially why I was transferred out here; we think they're starting up a new division here and… "Detective West loudly cleared his throat, giving Detective Thawne a pointed look as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Detective Thawne reached up to adjust his tie. "And…and this is CCPD business and no concern of yours." He shot a look over at Detective West who lifted an eyebrow. Barry silently shook his head from side to side. "If you need a ride to work, ma'am we can arrange one for you."

Averey put an over the top, bright smile on her face. "Here's an idea!" She clapped her hands together before pointing her index fingers at Detective Thawne. This was ridiculous. She was losing time. She had to get going. "Why don't you—"

"Before you finish the rest of your sentence, I want to remind you that you're in the presence of three members of the CCPD," Detective West quickly cut in.

_Oops._ Averey mentally slapped a palm to her forehead as she slammed her lips shut. _That's what you get for being in a rush to get out of here. Pull your head in. _She clasped her hands together, slowly letting out a sigh. "I apologize," she said, feeling her shoulders slump as her tense energy drained out of her body to be replaced with sincerity. "And I thank you for the ride, but I'm fine with walking,"

"Thank you for giving us information on, uh, the fried John Doe over there," Detective West said with a nod of his head. "I'm sorry you had to be the one to stumble upon something like this."

_At least you can erase it from your memory. _Averey wished them luck with the case before making her way out of the alleyway. She couldn't shake the nagging thought that she had been followed for so long. It sounded like something her mom would do. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that she was still being watched by Detective Thawne.

"Not like you talked your way out of that one, Ave," she whispered to herself. As she stepped out onto the bustling sidewalk, she looked up and down the street. "Boat tours."

Slowly releasing a breath of air, her eyes fell shut. Head bowed, Averey slowly blocked out the honking cars, chatter, and footsteps on the concrete until the only thing she focused on was the map that appeared in her mind. She could see it clearly; could see the computer cursor as it slowly glided over the gray lines stemming from each other as roads parted ways from her recent Google Maps search.

"Abbey Court to Emery Way to Twin View Lane and down to the river walk." Averey muttered the names of the street as they came into view (with the help of Street View), twisting and turning clear in her mind as if she had taken the trip before. A smile came to her face as she opened her eyes, lifting her head. She looked up and down the street until she spotted a tall standing sign. Her eyesight quickly zoomed in on the sign, a bus stop. "Perfect."

After a thirty minute bus ride, the Central City bus slowed to a stop along a curving rode. The doors opened with a hiss and Averey jumped to her feet, checking that she had her belongings before exiting the bus, tossing a "Thank you" over her shoulder to the bus driver. As soon as her feet were on the ground she was met with a beautiful view of the river, the bridge leading into the city arching over the glittering water.

It didn't seem like that long ago when she had arrived into Central City. It was dark and rainy that night, the bus trapping the smell of damp clothes inside. The bus driver's smooth, mellow tone came through the speakers, "Last stop for the night, Central City. I hope you won't have to wait at the station for long, but don't be surprised if the streets are filled with people. Tonight's the night Dr. Harrison Wells will be turning on the particle accelerator."

Averey pulled the hood to her sweatshirt up over head, before wrenching her bag out from beneath her seat neighbor's arm, jolting them awake. Excited whispers and murmurs swept up and down the bus as they headed into the city. Rain slid down the windows of the Greyhound bus, each droplet racing after the other, colliding to form a single trail of water. The haze of lights that was Central City slowly came into view outlining buildings casting the city in a warm glow.

She settled her bag into her lap and laced her fingers together, leaning around the man beside her to look out the window. She tapped her fingers, tapped her feet on the floor, and switched her seated position as she was suddenly unable to sit still at the thought of finally being in Central City. It was nothing compared to her 13 hour flight to the United States, but she was never one to really sit still for so long. Once her mind was set on something, she had to get started on it, and do everything she could to get it to go the way she wanted.

Minutes later, the bus slowly pulled up into an empty parking spot, making sure not to hit either of the busses flanking its sides. As the parking brake was applied, the bus gently rocked forward and the aisle lights popped on, signaling the patrons to get to their feet. Averey slung the strap to her bag over her shoulder before getting to her feet, standing on the cushions to reach the overhead compartment for the rest of her bags. One the bus cleared out more to move freely, she shouldered her bags—giving the man next to her a well deserved hit for snoring like a walrus for the past two hours—and made her way off the bus.

Crossing the bus terminal, she spotted a row of yellow taxis with their drivers waiting outside with signs for their patrons, holding signs with names scribbled in many different sizes and styles of handwriting. Over the chatter and names being called, she picked out her own and walked over to a taxi driver who had a big bushy mustache that covered his top lip, the hair fluttering with each exhale.

"Welcome to Central City," the man said, his hair spreading over his upper lip as he gave a crooked smile. He folded up the sign and stuffed it into his coat pocket before reaching for her bags. "Let me help you with your bags. There might be a lot of traffic, hordes of people are coming in to see—"

"The particle accelerator," Averey finished for him with a smile. "Yeah, I know. But…do you mind if I take a few pictures real quick? It's the first time I've been here and it's really beautiful." The man blinked rapidly and Averey let out a sigh and put up her hand, splaying her fingers. "I'll be back in five ticks and I'll pay you for the wait."

She didn't wait for an answer before practically throwing her bags into his arms. She unzipped her bigger bag and reached inside, pulling out a black strap. She gave it a hard tug and her camera bag popped out. Averey quickly unzipped her camera bag and retrieved her camera, looping it around her neck before hurrying across the station, her socks and shoes quickly soaking up the water, before coming to a railing overlooking the expansive city below.

"Beautiful." Averey smiled as she twisted the lens cap off her camera. As soon as her camera was up to her eye, she snapped picture after picture, portrait and landscape. She leaned slightly into the metal railing, pushing the zoom trigger with her index finger.

Her camera slipped out of her fingers—the strap digging into her neck—as she gripped the metal railing after it shuddered violently against her stomach. "Far out," she whispered, rubbing the pads of her finger over the sore area of her neck. She lifted her head, and shortly after her camera, when a pillar of light shot into the air.

Her fingers started to shake, twitching into taking a quick succession of photos. "What is this?" She blinked rapidly, turning her head away as the column of light got brighter. The metal railing shook a second time once again causing her to drop her camera. Averey grabbed onto the railing as the light got brighter and brighter. A low groan was torn out of her mouth when a force hit her.

And then everything went black.

A stark contrast to how brightly the sun bounced off against the rippling river water as a gentle breeze blew. Averey's shoes crunched over the loose gravel on the sidewalk as she made her way up the sidewalk before taking the sloped path down to the riverboat building. As soon as she stepped through the front door, a soft chime hit the air.

"Can I help you?" a male voice asked.

Averey pushed her sunglasses up into her hair before making her way around the racks of brochures and maps to the front counter. "Hi," Averey said as she set her bag down onto the table. "I'm Averey. I was hoping you could help me."

"Andrew," the man replied with a nod of his head. His eyes narrowed just slightly as she started digging through her bag. "I…might be able to help you."

"Oh, good." Averey brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear before pulling her computer out of the bag. "I have this picture. It was taken in Central City a long time ago, but my roommate only noticed one detail just recently." She lifted the lid and started up the computer, tapping her fingernails on the counter as she waited for it to get to the log in screen. "I also carry this picture around everywhere, but it's getting really torn and beat up, but—" She typed in her password and her desktop came up and she spun the computer around to face him, "this hat. Do you know who this belongs too?"

She jabbed her finger into the computer screen and Andrew leaned forward to get a closer look at the image. He tilted his head to the side and his lips twitched as a humming sound rumbled in his throat. "I've sold a lot of these hats," he explained, "but there's only one I've seen that looks as beat up as that and still worn." He shifted his gaze over towards Averey. "I know exactly who that is."

"Great!" Averey grinned. "Do you know where I can find him? What's his name?"

Andrew blinked rapidly, slowly pushing himself up into a standing position. He crossed his arms over his chest and reached up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Iron Heights Penitentiary," Andrew replied. His nose wrinkled slightly as he shifted his gaze towards the ceiling in thought. "Or Iron Heights Prison I think it's not being called." His lips twitched. "You're looking for a man named Henry Allen."

/ / /

Averey's shoes squeaked along the floor, the sound bouncing off of the dark walkway as she followed the stone-faced guard through the halls of Iron Heights. The guard's keys jingled as they bounced against his hip with each step. The hallway opened up to a bigger room with a desk in one corner, and a long table with a glass wall and cubicle-like dividers sitting in front of her.

"Sign in here." Averey followed his pointed finger towards the clipboard that sat on the counter. She pulled it closer towards her and quickly signed down her name before slapping the pen down with a loud _clack_. "Window three."

Suddenly feeling hesitant, Averey made her way over towards the table. She rubbed her hands together, taking in deep breaths of air trying to calm her heart that suddenly started working over time. Wiping her hands on her pants, she stepped over to the chair in front of window three, pulled it back, and slowly lowered herself onto the red cushion.

She rested her arms on the table, leaning forward to see as far as she could in either direction. Dark gray walls started back at her, illuminated by the occasionally white light. The words "Keep Hands in Plain View" stared back at her from the other side of the glass. She instantly placed her hands down onto the table top. _Calm down, Ave. This is what you wanted. _

A low, muffled, hum sounded and a flash of navy caught her eye. It grew bigger, covering a tall, broad frame, popping against the pale skin of a man's forearms. He paused for a moment before taking slow steps over towards the chair. Slowly, the man lowered himself into the chair and peered over at her. His dark eyes blinked once, twice, three times before he quickly reached for the black phone. It slipped out of his fingers and hit the table before he put it up to his ear. His lips parted, eyes widening just slightly as she reached for her phone.

"Averett?" Henry Allen's words tumbled out of his mouth with a breath of surprise.

"It's Averey, actually," Averey corrected him, resting her elbows on the metal counter, lacing her fingers together, keeping the black phone pressed to her ear with her shoulder. She lifted her eyebrows and parted her lips with a soft clicking sound. "Hi, dad."

"H-how…I don't understand," Henry said, his voice quivering, He swallowed thickly. "I didn't know you were in Central City."

Averey's eyebrows shot up. "Neither did I," she replied. She carefully pulled her picture out of her wallet, pressing it up against the glass with the palm of her hand. Henry leaned forward on his elbows, peering at the picture. His lips pulled downwards into a frown. "Mum also never told me you were in jail."

Henry removed the phone from his ear and dropped his head down onto his arm. He hit the phone against the back of his head before straightening in his chair. Suddenly he looked older; more tired. The shadows from the room made the lines on his face look deeper. As he slowly blinked, the crow's feet around his eyes crinkled.

"Eleanor doesn't know," Henry croaked out as he returned the phone to his ear. "We haven't spoke or even seen each other since that visit." He lifted a hand and pressed the pad of his index finger to the glass. "I remember that day. I remember there were no clouds in the sky, a warm breeze was blowing, and the water was warm enough to go tubing. We took you two on a riverboat and you begged and leaded for funnel cake."

"You've really been in here for a while," Averey said as more of a statement than a question as she removed the picture, peering down at it in her hand before looking back up at him. "A long while."

"Almost fifteen years," Henry replied, slowly nodding his head. He let out an odd chuckle, his shoulders shaking, a dim light appearing in his eyes. "The last five years kind of flew by, though."

"That's not funny," Averey said, running a hand over her face.

Henry shifted his gaze upwards for a moment. "When you're in here, you learn to laugh at little things." He used his free hand to scratch the stubble along his jaw.

"This obviously isn't the whole picture," Averey said, removing the picture from the glass, carefully setting it down on the table.

"Obviously." Henry made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Seems to me that Ellie cut me, Nora, and our son, Barry, out," he replied. His laughed again, a little louder, a little longer. "Pun intended."

"Wait." Averey shook her head, blinking rapidly. She slapped her palm down onto the counter, her eyes widening. "Barry? Barry _Allen_?!" There's no way. She must've heard wrong.

"Yeaaahhh," Henry replied, slowly nodding his head. His eyebrows angled downwards towards each other, a wrinkle appearing in between them. "Your half-brother."

"I met him." Averey said, slumping back in her seat. She had met her half-brother without realizing it. What else didn't she know about her family? "At Jitters when I was applying for a job there." She rubbed her fingers over her eyes before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"And you also met him that day when that picture was taken," Henry replied. His lips parted slightly before he pushed them together again. Silence stretched between the two of them. Henry turned his head to the side just slightly. "You don't remember. You and Barry had gotten into a fight that day." His grip on the phone tightened for a moment, the muscles and veins bulging before they slowly relaxed. "His dog had gotten out of the house somehow and was hit by a car. He blamed you for it, maybe he slipped out when you went to play in the front yard or something, but he was really upset. You didn't speak to each other for the rest of that day. That was the last time you, and your mom, and your dad visited."

"I don't remember that," Averey said quietly. The side of her head started to throb and she suddenly realized just how hard she was pressing the phone to her ear, hanging on to his every word. Her eyebrows angled towards each other as she thought hard, trying to think of that day. _Why can't I remember that?_

She squeezed her eyes shut reaching for something, _anything _that would come back to her. Blank. Nothing. Just like when she tried to recall what happened after she arrived in Central City. One minute she was taking pictures of the skyline and the next she was walking through the grocery store, pushing a full cart through the aisles.

"Well, you were only four," Henry explained, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. Frowning, Averey opened her eyes. Henry's sigh sounded like a gust of wind blowing through the phone. "Your parents, and my wife and I…we _all_ got into an argument that day. We tried to make it a great day for you kids but it just made things worse between Nora and I." He ran a hand over his face, pulling his skin taut for a moment before closing his eyes, resting his chin on the heel of his palm. "After that visit…we tried to keep it from Barry but we were fighting more and more. We were disagreeing on the smallest things. And then she was gone."

Averey tightly clenched her jaw as she watched Henry's face slowly crumble. His eyes grew glassy and red rimmed as they filled with tears. He sniffed and red blotches appeared and grew on his cheeks and nose. His shoulders shook and he bowed his head as he started to cry. She looked around the room, not that there was much to look at, twisting her mouth to the side.

All she wanted was answers and maybe yell at the guy. Now that she was sitting in front of him she just felt bad for him. Here she was upset that she had lost her dad, but he had lost his whole family. Not only that but he also lost his career and his life in one night. In one moment.

Henry's phone clattered onto the table as he used his hands to wipe at his face. His fingers disappeared into his hair as he grabbed a chunk and pulled. He used his arm to wipe at the snot beneath his nose, leaving a shiny trail on the navy material and then he was back on the line.

"Barry. He didn't—he didn't recognize you? At Jitters?" Henry asked. He turned his head to the side to use his shoulders to dry his eyes. Averey shook her head back and forth. Henry's eyebrows slowly arched upwards. "Normally, he's more perceptive than that. Then again, he's had a lot on his mind lately." He loudly sniffed. "I'm sorry you had to find out about me this way. I don't know what she told you about me—"

"Nothing," Averey said, interrupting him. "She told me nothing about you." She shrugged. "Nothing good. Nothing bad. She'd always change the subject whenever I asked. So I stopped asking after a while."

"So, then how'd you find me?" Henry asked. His voice was filled with wonder. "Does Ellie even know you're here?" Henry let out a quiet laugh. "She used to never let you out of her sight." He swallowed. "You've grown up."

"That's what happens when twenty years goes by," Averey said, quickly stopping herself from snorting. He'd been in jail for fourteen years; a lot had undoubtedly changed around him. Things he never had the chance to see for himself. "Mum _now _knows I'm here. I didn't tell her, or dad, why I came to the states; I just told them I wanted to travel overseas for a while. I had found a box of your stuff in her closet, found this picture, convinced her and dad to let me come to the states and worked my way here. Took me a while but here you are. I stayed in contact with mum until about a month ago because I knew she'd hit the roof if she found out what I was doing."

"So, how did she—"

"I needed some money while I was here so I applied for a job at Jitters," Averey replied before switching the phone from one ear to the other. "I have photography and travel blog and I did a post about Jitters and she read it. She figured it out from there." She twisted her mouth to the side. "I could never keep much from her for long, anyway."

"Ellie did have a knack to get things out of people," Henry agreed, massaging his forehead. He angled his head forward and massaged the back of his neck. "Averey…please don't tell Barry about this. I want to be the one to tell him. I don't know when he'll visit next but…I have plenty of time here to figure out what to say." His dark gaze held her frozen in place. "I know I can't ask much of you, but please don't."

Averey swallowed hard, but found herself nodding her head. "I promise." _I won't tell him, but that doesn't mean I'll stay away from him. _He was friends with Iris after all. If she knew as much as she did about The Flash, the red streak, or whatever it was that he was being called, maybe he knew something, too.

* * *

Barry's heart ricocheted off his burning chest as he gasped and wheezed for air. Laying a hand on his chest, he slowly made his way through the winding halls of STAR Labs, looking for Farooq Gibran. Without his powers, running exerted a lot more energy than he had been accustomed to for months. Like Cisco had said (annoyingly so) he ran slowly even for a normal person; a statement that was quickly proven true in this situation.

He was the only one who had the means to stop Farooq from injuring his friends, with or without his powers. He may be slow, but he was still perceptive to people and objects in front of him. Maybe if he could anticipate what his opponent would do before hand, he could have the upper hand. It wouldn't be the first time he used his brain to get himself out of trouble.

Barry sucked in a breath of air, his chest painfully swelling as he did so before he slowly let it out, rounding a bend in the hallway. The coast was clear. So far, so good. "He's still in here somewhere," Barry whispered to himself taking slow steps forward.

STAR Labs was so vast and there were so many levels to it, it seemed daunting. It wasn't too long ago that all Barry wanted was the chance to meet Harrison Wells and maybe even have a tour in the famous laboratory. Now he was working there as part of the STAR Labs team. He never thought something like that would ever happen.

He also never thought the impossible would happen either; getting super powers from a bolt of lightning? It was stuff comic books were made of. Only when you dreamt of having superpowers and fighting crime, you never stopped to think just how difficult and painful it is to be the one person everyone in the city looks up to and relied on.

Nevertheless, he loved being the Flash. No matter how he got his powers, (accident, or fate, or if it was part of his destiny), and no matter how hard things got, he wanted those powers for as long as he could have them. Plus, it'd definitely help him out in times like this. Being shocked hurt in more ways than he could describe and he wanted the chance to be able to run away from the next attack, and to get Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Well's out of the way, too.

"I know you're mad at Dr. Wells," Barry said aloud, his words echoing through the dark hallways. "But, that doesn't mean you should be looking for revenge, Farooq." Silence. In a building that usually housed different hums, beeps, and buzzers, it was daunting to walk through silent halls. "He had changed my life too, but I'm working _with _him. He can help you."

"He can help me by not being in any of our lives anymore."

Barry stilled as the harsh tone suddenly spoke out of the shadows. He slowly spun in a circle, his eyes darting from dark corner to dark corner. He widened his eyes and then relaxed them, trying to pinpoint something amiss; an extra shadow, something that didn't belong.

Darting his tongue out between his lips, Barry wetted them before swallowing thickly. "He's a scientist," Barry continued to try and reason with him. "He can help you. We-we're _all _trying to help you. To help everyone that's been affected."

"If he was so smart, there never would've been an accident to begin with."

A bright ball of electricity suddenly illuminated the hallway. "Ahh." Barry turned his head away, shielding his face with his hands as Farooq stepped out of his hiding place. His blue eyes glowed like hot coals, searing into his soul. Barry couldn't help but agree with that comment, but on the other hand, there were many mistakes in experiments. And even some great things came out of experiments, like his powers.

"I promise you," Barry said, taking slow steps backwards, trying to put as much distance between himself and the bright light. "Dr. Wells, Dr. Snow, and Cisco, we can all help you. You won't have to be afraid to get close to anybody."

"I'm not afraid," Farooq said through clenched teeth. His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath of air through his nose. "I need to feed. I want my friends back. I want _my life back_!"

Barry gasped, quickly diving out of the way of Farooq's electric blast. Pain shot up Barry's spine as his hip collided with the hard floor. He felt the hair on the back of his neck, on his arms stand up on end as the air cracked and popped with electricity. He quickly scrambled on all fours, hurrying to get out of the way. He jumped to his feet, stepping farther into the doorway he escaped through, letting out a loud scream when he felt a hand touch his back. He screamed even louder when a female's scream sounded in reply. He squinted in the dark, trying to see who it was.

"Caitlin?" he asked in a whisper. He waved his arms in front of him in the air. _Nope, definitely not Caitlin._

"Averey." The voice whispered back, grabbing his wrists, stopping his movement. He felt himself jump and his pulse quicken at sudden contact. "I'm down here." She pulled his hands down until they reached the top of her head. "Barry?"

"Averey?" Barry repeated. "How'd you get in here?"

"I didn't break in this time, I promise," Averey replied, releasing his hands. Barry blinked, trying to clear the splotches of color from his vision. "Not really, anyway. The electricity went out so the locks weren't working and I kind of walked in. I came looking for you and nearly had a run-in with the creepy creeper. _He _was the one that fried the registers at Jitters."

"Farooq?" Barry asked. Her outline slowly came into view. At the mention of his name, Barry hurried to the doorway and peered out. The hallway was empty. Farooq was once again free to roam STAR Labs.

"Can't forget eyes like that, Barry," Averey replied from behind him. "It's like I said, as long as I see it, I don't forge things." Barry felt her weight on his back as she kneeled beside him. "Is he gone?"

"I think so," Barry replied. He slowly stepped out into the hall. "We have to find Dr. Wells. Who knows how far Farooq got."

"Look out!"

Barry spun around, looking around wildly, trying to pinpoint the source of distress. He heard a _pop_ and the sting of pain that shortly followed a punch to the cheek. He reached his hand up to cover his stinging as he stumbled to the side, colliding into Averey, who let out a startled shriek. He clenched his teeth and curled his fingers into a fist and twisted back in Farooq's direction.

"Oof." Farooq groaned as Barry's fist sank into his stomach. Barry's nose wrinkled as Farooq's hot breath washed over his face.

"Ahhh!" The skin on his fist burned from the contact on Farooq's skin. He shook his hand in the air, blinking back the tears of pain that welled up in his eyes. Driving his knee upwards, Barry blindly fought back against Farooq.

"You're only delaying the inevitable," Farooq wheezed. He let out a growl and Barry's back collided painfully with the wall as the bigger man careened into him. An odd sucking sound came from him as he gasped for air at the sudden hit. He grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, pulling them from his chest. Farooq's hands glowed and Barry slammed his eyes shut, turning his head away. "Not get out of my way."

"Hiiiiyah!"

Barry parted his eyes and through the bright glare, watched Averey spin once, kicking out her foot. Her heel caught the side of Farooq's jaw before she struck her fist upwards in an upper cut. Farooq's movements made the lights dance around like strobe lights, each movement looking like a slow moving dance. Farooq was more of a wild fighter, swinging his arms, and punching and kicking as he saw fit. Averey on the other hand was light on her feet, keeping her fists up closer to her jaw line.

"Ugh." Averey doubled over as Farooq drove his knee into her stomach. As she coughed, gasping for air, a clattering sound was heard.

"Get. Out. Of my. Way," Farooq hissed, chest heaving with each word. "Before I make you." He clenched his teeth, cupping his hands together. As he pulled his hands apart, a ball of electricity formed between them, growing bigger and bigger, brighter, and even brighter still.

"Please," Barry wheezed, lifting a hand in the air. "You—you don't have to do this."

"Where is Dr. Wells?" Farooq shouted, his loud voice, echoing through the halls. The ball of electricity pulsated and a loud, shrill scream shook Barry to his core. Farooq faltered at the sudden shout as Averey dropped to her knees, repeatedly wiping at her eyes.

"I can't see!" she cried, panicked. "I can't see!" Her shoulders shook, her voice sounding thick as she started frantically patting the ground around her. "I can't see. I can't see." Her repeated words became less frantic and panicked by the second. Her movements slowed and her voice dropping to a mumble. With one last, soft, "I can't see" she collapsed onto the cool ground.

Farooq merely looked down at her before lifting his eyes, locking his gaze with Barry. "You're wasting my time," he declared after a long stretch of silence. With a huff, he turned on his heels, the rubber of his shoes squeaking against the floor as he stalked away. His voice grew more and more faint as he distanced himself from them. "Dr. Wells wants to hide, I see. Seems like there was a time where he wanted everyone to know who he was."

Barry dropped to his knees by Averey's side and pressed his fingers to the side of her neck. A pulse. _Thank God. _Barry carefully gathered the girl in his arms and carried her back towards the main room of STAR Labs. He kept his head on a swivel, keeping an eye out for Farooq.

"Barry?" he heard Caitlin's hesitant voice. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me," Barry replied. He heard Caitlin's sigh of relief.

"Dude, we were worried," Cisco's voice reached him next. A low hum filled the air and Barry heard the sound of sliding metal. He looked behind him to see a dark shape sliding towards the floor. "This gate won't keep him out for long, but it'll due."

"Is Dr. Wells here?" Barry asked. "We have a problem."

"I'm right here." Barry heard the _whirr_ of Dr. Well's wheelchair before a click was heard and a lantern cast the room in a warm glow from its position on the center computer set up.. "It might be old school, but it'll work." He turned towards Barry and frowned when he saw what Barry held in his arms. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," Barry stammered out a reply. "She said she couldn't see and then she collapsed."

"Set her down over here," Caitlin said in an urgent tone. Her heels clacked on the hard floor as she hurried over towards a computer set up. She brushed stacks of paper to the floor before patting it with her hand. "You said she collapsed?"

"Yes," Barry replied, hurrying over to the table, his muscles straining under the weight of the unconscious girl. "Cisco, help me." Cisco was immediately by his side and helped carefully lay Averey down onto the table.

"Hey," Cisco said, once he got a good look at her face "It's her. Averey. She was here in STAR Labs before."

"Easier means of breaking in under the circumstances," Dr. Wells said with a short chuckle, clasping his hands in his lap.

"What was it that made her pass out, Barry?" Caitlin asked, retrieving a bag from under the table. She unzipped it and started searching inside.

"I…I honestly don't know," Barry said, shaking his head back and forth. He rested his hands on the side of the table, pushing his weight against it, suddenly feeling exhausted. He quickly told Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells what had happened just previously with Farooq. "And then, I don't know, she just started screaming and then she passed out."

"The poor thing." Caitlin removed a small, thin, object from the bag and held it in the air above her. Her lips pulled back into a smile before she let out a triumphant, "Ah ha!" She pressed her thumb into the back and a small light clicked on. She leaned over Averey and carefully pulled her eyelids apart, shining the light inside.

Large pools of black stared back up at her, glittering as it reflected the light. Barry let out a horrified gasp, taking a step back. Caitlin let out a startled scream, stepping back, stumbling as she was unbalanced on her heels. Her pen light dropped to the ground with a clatter.

"Jeepers Creepers, dude," Cisco whispered. His jaw hung low, eyes wide. "Where'd you get _those _peepers?"

"Her eyes," Barry whispered, his heart hammering in his chest. "They're…"

"Dilated," Dr. Wells said, finishing his thoughts. Barry turned to look in the direction that Dr. Well's voice came from. The older man leaned forward in his wheel chair, his elbows pressing into the tops of his knees, his fingers laced together. "_Really_, dilated. I've never seen anything like it in all my years. It's no wonder she said she couldn't see. Normally it takes a while for dilating eye drops to take effect in a person's eye and even then—"

"They don't look like that," Cisco loudly declared, pointing a shaking finger at the unconscious girl. He shuddered. "That was creepy."

"—dilation effects close objects in your visual field, not ones at a distance," Dr. Wells continued in his hushed tone. "Light sensitivity of course makes sense."

"Dr. Wells, she just saw Farooq's light…fingers," Caitlin said, throwing her hand into the air. "Dilation drops are used to paralyze the muscles that make your pupils widen with darkness and shrink in light. This is the opposite." She was quiet for a moment and then said in a shaky voice. "You can't even see her irises anymore. It's like her pupil widened so much, it's taking over her whole entire eye."

"And that's not even explaining why she passed out," Cisco added.

_But, it does explain her constant use of sunglasses_. Realization suddenly hit and Barry snapped his fingers together. "You said when you met her, she had sunglasses on, right?" he asked. "I said during that fight I heard something hit the ground. I think it was her sunglasses."

"That is correct, yes," Harrison replied with a nod of his head.

"I—yes, I remember seeing them as well," Caitlin agreed.

"She had them when I met her at Jitters and again earlier today when she found the body of the man Farooq killed," Barry explained, rubbing at his chin. "And now."

"Uh, it's not uncommon for people to wear sunglasses, dude," Cisco pointed out.

"Yeah, but at night?" Caitlin asked.

"Sensitivity to sunlight, I presume?" Dr. Wells mused aloud. He maneuvered his wheelchair over towards Averey's bedside. "Or a bright light in general as is my hypothesis. Light, please, Caitlin." Caitlin scrambled to pick up the fallen pen and handed it to Dr. Wells.

"Here you go," she said, brushing her hair back behind her ears.

"What are you going to do?" Barry asked, stepping closer. Cisco and Caitlin followed his lead, shuffling closer as well.

"Seeing as we are currently without power, I can't do this without any of the technology we have in abundance here, but this should get the job done," Dr. Wells replied, grasping Averey's wrist with his left hand.

Silence filled the spacious room as they waited to see what Dr. Wells was going to do. Barry lifted a hand to his mouth and bit down on his thumbnail, locking eyes with Caitlin. Her lips were pulled downwards into a frown of worry. He finally clicked on the light and used his right pink and thumb to open Averey's eyelid, holding the light above it.

Barry turned his head away, taking in a sharp breath of air at the sight of the black eyes. Caitlin and Cisco groaned as well. "Just as I thought," Dr. Wells said, clicking off the light. He let out a long sigh. "The vasovagal reflex. Sun light, or bright lights, in this case numerous lumens of light, caused her a great deal of pain. The severity of the pain, in turn, made her blood vessels widen. There are many instances as to why this occurs; fear, stress, anxiety, or even sudden shifts of body position much like when you get light headed standing too quickly."

"So, her blood vessels widened and all went to her lower extremities." Cisco gave a nod of his head.

"Which means less blood, and oxygenated blood vessels, went to her brain," Caitlin continued.

"Causing her to pass out," Barry finished.

"And when I removed the light element her blood pressure increased, yes." Dr. Wells leaned back in his chair, popping the knuckles on his right hand with his thumb. "In normal circumstances, lying down would allow the blood vessels back to the brain allowing that person to regain consciousness shortly after." Dr. Wells peered over the unmoving body. His voice dropped to a quieter tone. "But this is different."

"Isn't it always?" Cisco asked with a snort. He put his hands up defensively when Caitlin shot him an annoyed look.

"Dr. Wells, I don't think I quite understand," Caitlin said.

"She's allergic to lights?" Barry asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Close," Dr. Wells replied, spinning around to face them. His lips turned upwards into a hint of a smile. "I believe we have a metahuman on our hands."


	6. If We Could Just Run Some Tests?

**-Chapter Six-**

**"If We Could Just Run Some Tests?"**

Cisco Ramon whistled to himself, drawing circles in the air with the bulb of his Tootsie pop, clutching a clipboard underneath his arm. He came to a stop in the bend of the hallway of STAR Labs, outside a curved down. He stuck his lollipop into his mouth, his cheek bulging as he slid it off to the side and used his thumb to punch in the key code on the square panel on the wall outside the door.

"Hey," he greeted as he stepped into the dim circular room as soon as the door slid back into the wall. "Is she up yet?"

The room wasn't that big; there was enough space to fit what looked like a normal doctor's examination room. A medical bed lined up against one wall with a combination sink and table top sitting next to it. A row of wall cabinets sat on one wall and two chairs; one of which Caitlin was perched, and another with its back resting against the wall opposite of the cabinets finished the room.

Cisco hadn't spent a lot of time in any of the medical rooms as of late. The last time he remembered spending time in one of them was before the particle accelerator accident. One of the electric generators had gone out and wanting to fix it, he nearly lost his eyebrows and the rest of the hair on his body. He wasn't too fond of thunderstorms for a little while after that.

Cisco walked over to Caitlin's side and gently tapped her shoulder twice with the tip of his finger. Caitlin looked up from the reclined medical bed where Averey lay, gently removing the black cloth that covered the girl's eyes. She let out a sigh through her nose before turning on her heels to face her friend. Caitlin used one hand to brace her hand on the railing of the bed as she slowly got to her feet, her bones making an audible clicking sound as she removed herself from her seated position.

"You've asked me that three times in the last hour, Cisco," she pointed out, gently pushing her abandoned chair away from her.

Cisco felt his eyebrow lift. "Have I?" he asked.

"You have," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Oh, boy; Caitlin's famous "I can solve this problem, just watch me make it look easy" look. The very same one he's had the fortune to see time and time again as they've worked in STAR Labs together. A handful of times it was accompanied with a satisfied smile as she proved him wrong about something. He had never met anyone as driven or as impressive as Caitlin Snow; both qualities he was sure that had initially attracted Ronnie Raymond to her. He couldn't blame the man at all.

In an industry mainly driven by men, and in STAR Labs where female employees weren't seen as often, Caitlin commanded and received respect through her immaculate work. Dr. Wells had done the right thing in hiring her. If anyone had ever dared to wonder or second guess Caitlin's skills in the work area, not only would they quickly be put in their place, but she could do it all with a smile. Brain and beauty: a deadly combination.

"In fact, I think you were in here more often than when Barry was first here," she continued.

Cisco grasped the stick of his lollipop and started spinning the sweet candy on his tongue before he removed it, pointing it at his friend. "Interesting," he commented and Caitlin's lips lifted upwards into a smile as she chuckled. "You never seem to miss the small details."

"In our line of work, it's best that we don't," she replied with a sigh. Silence fell over the two of them and Cisco felt his teeth clench together. He stuck his lollipop back into his mouth, wincing slightly as a crack in the lollipop cut his tongue. He deserved that.

If the particle accelerator experiment hadn't gone up in flame, or rather _light_, then her fiancé would still be alive. They probably would've gotten married by now. There were many fingers pointing at many different reasons as to why the accident occurred. Was someone too excited about the event that they cut corners on the last walkthrough? Did Harrison Wells really deserve all the blame he got for the accident?

"Sorry, Caitlin," Cisco said quietly and Caitlin instantly gave a tight smile, shaking her head back and forth.

"She's doing better," she said, changing the subject. "Just waiting for her to wake up." She lifted her hand, brushing her hair back from her face. Cisco twisted his mouth to the side as he watched her demeanor change. He wished he could have the old-Caitlin back.

Not that her drive and talents for her work had ever changed, but she used to be more open, more lively, and knew how to tease and joke around from time to time. Sine Ronnie's death, he watched her become more closed off and even more into her work then previously. Ronnie had obviously been the one to bring out the fun side to her.

And it was his fault that she had someone so important to her ripped away.

"She's not responding so harshly to the light anymore," Caitlin continued her explanation. Cisco snapped to attention and crossed the room to Caitlin's side. "Mainly due in part to the accommodations of the room." She swung her arm out to the side, indicating the space.

It was Cisco's quick idea to keep her in a dark, if not dimly lit room. If the light had affected her eyes that severely, then maybe it'd reverse just as quickly with the absence of light. Caitlin had even tried making reverse-dilation drops, but that didn't do anything like they all had hoped. To be fair, she had been working around making sure Barry and Dr. Well was ok all the while Farooq, who Cisco had now dubbed Blackout, tried to attack them. For her to have her mind on two different things at one time—with the added job of _not _getting electrocuted—he couldn't blame her for any struggles.

"Well, there wasn't much to go on regarding her Facebook and Twitter pages," Cisco said with a sigh, talking around his lollipop. "Both are set as privately as they can be. I know she's from Australia…which certainly explains why she looks like that." His lips stretched into a wide smile as Caitlin arched an eyebrow. Cisco lifted his shoulders up so far, his neck disappeared. "What? Can't I make an observation?"

"Of course you can," Caitlin said with a laugh, before she gave him a teasing smile. "But in this case, it might be better that she has her social media profiles set to private." She then nodded towards the small desk area next to the medical bed. A tan side bag found earlier in STAR Labs sat on the table, its strap falling towards the floor. "Have you checked her bag?"

"Uhhh, no, no way," Cisco instantly replied, shaking his head back and forth. "That's, like, your personal space."

Caitlin scoffed. "You have no problem probing her social media sites for information, but you won't go through her bag?" she asked, getting to her feet. "Oh, Cisco."

"Hellooo! I make the toys, remember?" Cisco said before emphasizing his point by biting down on his lollipop, a loud crunch hitting the air. "That's not part of my job description." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Although, then I could figure out what you put in those big purses you all carry that make them hurt when you hit us."

"A girl has to keep some secrets," Caitlin replied with a shrug. She tossed her hair over her shoulders before grasping the strap of the bag, lifting it into the air. She unclipped the flap before flipping it over, starting to look through the bag.

Cisco rolled his eyes taking another bite out of his lollipop. "You've been in here all night," he said to her around the crunching. "Have you ever taken a break?"

"Barry said he'll get me some coffee after he checks on Joe, Iris, and Detective Thawne this morning," she explained, continuing her search.

"Cait."

"Yes, Cisco," she said, looking up at him through the hair that fell over her face, "I have gotten some sleep. Dr. Wells is doing fine as well."

"As well as he can be after being zapped out of his chair, you mean?" Cisco asked. He caught a hint of a smile of amusement on her face.

"He's just got a few bruises," Caitlin replied. She let out a sigh as she set down the bag. "If it wasn't for Barry it would've been a lot worse." Planting her hands on her hips, she twisted her mouth to the side.

"Not much in there?" Cisco asked.

"Not much more than what we already knew about her from what Barry told us," Caitlin replied with a shake of her head. "A computer, a camera, some developed pictures, a pair of glasses, and her Jitters apron." She pursed her lips for a moment. "Barry said she had been arrested for petty theft."

"Wasn' my fault."

"Whoa." Cisco jumped at the sudden voice and Caitlin put a hand to her chest. "Uhh, hey." Cisco gave a small wave of his hand as he stepped closer to the medical bed as Averey slowly woke up. Averey squinted as she sat up in the bed, the navy blankets pooling around her waist.

"How are you feeling?" Caitlin asked, instantly rushing to Averey's side, picking up the fallen clipboard as she did so. "Any pains anywhere? Aches? Your eye dilation has decreased significantly, but don't be too surprised if your vision is still kind of blurry. If you're up to it, Dr. Wells wanted to see you as soon as you were awake. He might have answers for you."

"Ok—ah!" Averey's face contorted with pain as she touched at the back of her head.

"Ooh, yeah, that was my bad," Cisco said, wincing. "We kind of had an, uh, _electrifying _night and I kind of smashed your head into the doorframe while I was moving you to safety." Caitlin reached out her hand and felt around the back of Averey's head. "Ooh. That bump will heal in a couple days. Just put some ice on it once a day."

"I'm Cisco and that's Caitlin," Cisco said, pointing to himself and his friend.

"I remember," Averey replied, shifting her squinted gaze towards him. "Sorry, I can't see you very well. You said you had my glasses, yeah?" Cisco grabbed her bag and reached inside, his fingers and knuckles bumping against the objects inside. He grasped a gray oblong object and handed it to her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Cisco replied as she opened the case and dumped her glasses out onto her lap. He felt his lips twitch upwards into a small smile as she slid them on. He thought she looked good before but now—" Caitlin snapped her fingers in his face and Cisco blinked rapidly before gaining a stoic posture. He crossed his arms over his chest and pressed his lips together.

"Did you take your husband's surname?" Averey suddenly asked, her eyebrows bunching together as she threw the blanket off her legs. She massaged her arms with her hands. "Snow? It's unique."

Cisco watched a look of shock and pain rise on Caitlin's face for a brief moment before it disappeared. "I'm…not married," she said after a moment of silence.

"Your fiancé, then?" Averey corrected herself, tilting her head to the side just slightly.

Caitlin's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet. She swallowed thickly. "How…uh, how did you know I was engaged?" she asked quietly. Cisco could hear the tremble in her voice and shot a reassuring smile in his friend's direction.

"Your ring," Averey replied, pointing her index finger at Caitlin's left hand. "Don't wear it on that little finger otherwise."

Cisco's gaze dropped down towards Caitlin's left hand where a small gleam of light bounced off the ring that sat on her ring finger. Her fingers closed over the jewelry in an instant, nervously twisting it back and forth. "Cait." Cisco's words instantly died on his lips. Caitlin bowed her head, turning her body away from him just slightly.

"I didn't realize…" her words trailed off as well.

"I hit a soft spot," Averey said matter of fact, looking back and forth between the two of them. "Ay. I'm sorry." She moved to get off the bed and Caitlin quickly grabbed her arm, helping her to her feet.

"It's ok," Cisco reassured her. "It's just…the night of the accident."

Averey pushed her glasses up her nose with her index finger, her gaze shifting over towards Caitlin as she straightened her spine. "You're Ronald Raymond's fiancée," she said, tilting her chin upwards just slightly. "Or ex-fiancée I should say." Cisco held his breath as he watched Caitlin's shoulders tense up.

"That's right." Caitlin gave a shingle nod. "Ronnie. But, how'd you know that?"

"Articles," Averey instantly replied. "I researched a lot about that night before I had come to see Dr. Wells."

"That day when we walked you out," Cisco said, tapping the pads of his fingers against his chin.

"Central City could've faced more devastating destruction than we have seen if it wasn't for the heroic, yet tragic, act of Ronald 'Ronnie' Raymond the night of the particle accelerator accident," Averey recited, slowly blinking. Cisco's jaw tightened. "Had it not been for Raymond the effects of the particle accelerator, and whatever dark matter may have been released, might have affected more citizen of Central City than has been recorded. While many in the field of science regale Dr. Harrison Wells and his team, the creators of the particle accelerator, as heroes for this big event, the true hero of the night—and I'm making things worse. I can see it on your face."

Caitlin suddenly removed her hands from Averey's arm. Muttering a quiet "I'll get you some ice" she took long, quick strides out of the room. Cisco let out a long sigh through his nose as he lifted his hands, running them over his hair before locking his fingers behind his neck. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment before setting his gaze on Averey.

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," she said, her shoulders dropping. She almost looked as if she was wilting on the spot. "When I notice something, I kind of just go with it."

"It's been hard for her," Cisco replied, dropping his arms down to his sides. The slapping sound echoed around the room. "She's been getting better but sometimes…" He shifted his gaze towards the closed door. "Sometimes she just needs some time alone." He then cleared his throat before putting his attention back on her. "Dr. Wells said he wanted to see you once you got up."

Averey gathered her belongings and followed Cisco into the room that she had been in during her last visit—which Cisco explained was called The Cortex. She had faltered as soon as she had entered the vast room and Cisco quickly grabbed onto her, stopping her from falling over as her knees grew weak from pain. Cisco helped her over to the chair that Caitlin hurried to bring over to her.

"Dr. Wells is on his way," Caitlin explained to Cisco as she smoothed her hands down her dress. She looked over at Cisco and lifted her eyebrows before reaching for a towel and a bag of ice. "He actually arrived early to get a head start on some tests."

"Is Barry ok?" Averey asked as she was handed the bag of ice after Caitlin had wrapped it in the towel. Cisco placed his hand over hers—quickly noticing how it seemed to fit perfectly in his—carefully guiding it to the sore area. "What happened after I passed out?"

"We'll answer all of your questions in due time, Ms. Moore, as I hope you answer all of ours," Dr. Wells said as he guided his wheelchair into the room with Barry following behind him, sliding his arms through a STAR Labs sweatshirt.

"Well, well," Cisco said to Barry, lifting an eyebrow, "Blackout must've re-wired your brain or something. You're never here this early."

Barry let out a short laugh. "Neither are you, Cisco," he replied, reaching out a hand and clapping Cisco on the shoulder. The taller man gave him a smile of amusement.

"Hey, we don't know for sure if Blackout's overload has any side effects on you, buddy," Cisco called after him, pointing a finger in his direction. "The extra tests won't hurt." He shrugged his shoulders. "If making sure you two are ok means I have to be here early I will be." _Good one, Cisco._

"We all appreciate your tenacity, Cisco," Dr. Wells commented, lightly clearing his throat."Your passion for your work certainly doesn't go unnoticed."

Cisco lifted up onto the tips of his toes, a proud smile coming to his face. He loved working at STAR Labs and being one of the youngest hires in its time, and even now when he and Caitlin were the only original employees to stick around, that fact made him feel proud of his accomplishments. And to be recognized again and again by _the _Dr. Harrison Wells was the icing on the cake.

"Now, Ms. Moore, you were here previously with questions about the particle accelerator accident and now you've made an interesting return visit." Dr. Wells clasped his hands together in his lap. "You're not the first to be interested in what exactly had happened that night but are the first to have come to the source or answers."

"I can't remember what happened that night," Averey replied, staring back at Dr. Wells. Silence. "Wow. I feel like I'm back in Keystone's interrogation room all over again."

"You were in Central City that night?" Barry asked, putting a hand to his chin. Averey nodded her head. "And you know about the mishap."

"That's putting it lightly," Cisco muttered. Dr. Wells let out a mirthless chuckle.

"I had just arrived by bus. I was taking pictures of the skyline before it all went dark," Averey replied. "Next thing I know, I was in the bloody supermarket and it was a few months later. It was still being talked about on the news."

"You think it was amnesia?" Caitlin asked.

"True amnesia is a rarity as I'm sure you know, Dr. Snow," Dr. Wells replied, turning his head to the side. "And not many who recovered from amnesia even _remember_ what had caused it in the first place. Some may get flashes, but she seems to have had those memories lost completely. But, everyone is different." He moved his chair closer to her jut slightly. "You said you 'came to' so to speak in the supermarket? Were you confused? How did you react? Have you ever regained any memory from that time?"

"I…" Averey was silent for a moment. "I wasn't confused at all. I knew what I was doing and I knew what I was there for." She shook her head, her eyebrows knitting together. "I knew everything; where I lived, how to get there, that I was in Central City." She adjusted the bag of ice on her head. "It was like…almost like someone had given me back the ability to make memories again. To remember things."

"Have you ever regained any memory from that time?" Dr. Wells repeated. Cisco exchanged glances with Caitlin at the sudden urgency in his tone.

Cisco had been on the receiving end of that tone many times before, especially when he first started out. If you held back any sort of information from him or tried talking your way out of a mistake, he was quick to notice and made sure he got the truth out of you. When he wanted answers, he wanted answers. And you gave it to him.

"No," Averey replied, shaking her head. "I remember everything before the accident and everything after I snapped back." She adjusted the ice on the back of her head. "Just yesterday morning, my roommate had gotten a package and the mail and the return address was for 23rd Magnolia Street, Metropolis, Kansas."

_Wait a minute. _Cisco opened and closed his mouth for a moment before stepping in front of Averey, joining the half-circle that Barry, Caitlin, and Dr. Wells made in front of her. "You could recite that newspaper article word for word without any problems," he said aloud, pointing a finger in the direction of the medical room she had just been in. "But, you can't tell us what happened to you the night of the accident or what happened between that and when you were in the grocery store."

"That's right," Caitlin said with a gasp.

"You told me that as long as you see something you remember it," Barry spoke up. He ran a hand over his face, covering his mouth with his hand for a moment. "You must've passed out the night of the accident."

"Between that and the grocery store…something was stopping you from seeing it to create those memories that you can recall," Cisco explained. "Like the article and address."

"Like a photographic memory?" Caitlin asked. She shook her head back and forth. "But, there's been many debates regarding whether or not it's a real occurrence." She waved a hand in the air. "It doesn't actually exist."

"Maybe for someone who didn't have a camera with them the night of the accident," Cisco pointed out to her. "Maybe the dark matte released from the particle accelerator in that shockwave and refracted through the camera lens and into her eyes, taking away her eye sight."

"As if she was putting a lens cap on her camera," Caitlin said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cisco nodded his head in agreement.

"And when the cap was removed, she could continue making memories from that moment forward, without forgetting what it was that had occurred before the accident," Barry added.

"I believe you're going in the same direction I am with this, Cisco," Dr. Wells said, taking in a deep breath of air. The air rushed out of his nose before he parted his lips. "After your previous visit, I started looking at this differently." He waved his hand in the air, indicating the laboratory. "I had been so focused on who had, sadly, lost their lives, but I should have been paying attention to those who have been affected."

"Uhhh," Cisco said, sharing a confused look with Caitlin and Barry, "what do you call the prison—" Caitlin poked him in the side and Dr. Wells started talking over him.

"As I've told my colleagues," Dr. Wells raised his voice just slightly, speaking over Cisco, "I believe that due to the accident, you have become a metahuman. An ocular metahuman to be exact."

Averey stared back at him as a long stretch of silence filled the space. "Sorry?" she finally asked, her voice cracking. "Meta—what?"

"Meta_human_ is what we call those who have gained powers from the dark matter that was released from the particle accelerator accident," Caitlin said, twisting her fingers together. "Dr. Wells…_we _believe it has affected your vision. It's why we were waiting for you to wake up, so we could run tests and see what exactly has changed. To see what you can do."

"And those were the tests you were running on Barry?" Averey asked.

"Precisely," Dr. Wells quickly answered before Cisco, Caitlin, or Barry could say anything. "Creating the particle accelerator, successfully _running _the particle accelerator would've opened the doors for tremendous scientific discoveries." His lips pulled upwards in a half smile. "Of course now some of these discoveries being these metahumans. You see no one really knows what dark matter can do to the body and as we've been finding, it changes your molecular state drastically, it changes your abilities as a person. In your case, I believe part of your abilities, like Dr. Snow and Caitlin have pointed out, is eidetic memory."

"People confuse eidetic and photographic memory, but like Caitlin has stated, a true photographic memory doesn't seem to exist," Cisco quickly explained, spotting the confusion in Averey's eyes. "With an eidetic memory, it's possible for you to remember things in vivid detail just after seeing it a few times. Only for you, I think you only need to see it once, like how you explained to Barry that you don't forget things."

"The idea of having an eidetic memory in and of itself does beg for further testing," Dr. Wells said, "I personally haven't ever met anyone that has it. There is the idea of a metaphorical 'filing cabinet' in which we store ideas and thoughts for part of our long term memory, but this…oh, this is different."

Cisco pressed his lips together, frowning just slightly. How easy it was for him to change the subject on things and to avoid topics. Clearly he had his reason for not explaining Barry's abilities. Part of Cisco just wanted to just blurt out that Barry was the Flash. He still couldn't believe he was a part of something so extraordinary, something he had only read in all of his comic books. But on the other hand, the last time they had a Metahuman on their side, she was a walking-talking time bomb.

A beautiful one at that.

_Maybe that's why Dr. Wells doesn't want to say anything_. Cisco ran his fingers through his hair. Bette Sans Souci had a unique metahuman ability, one that had put a lot of pressure on her due to General Eiling's pursuit of her to use her for his own personal gain. Maybe this was another case with Averey.

"It was hard for us to believe that anything like this could have happened after the accident," Caitlin explained in a gentle voice, "but it's true. You've gained an extraordinary gift." She swung her head in Barry's direction, her brown hair skimming her shoulders. "We've been helping Barry learn what side effects there are from the dark matter, if any, and how it affects his body. Things like that."

"You're in good hands here," Barry added. Cisco gave a single nod of his head. Caitlin had been choosing her words carefully. As usual, she was quick to notice Dr. Wells's demeanor and joined in. If he didn't want them to tell her that Barry was the Flash, then he had a good reason for it.

"Ms. Moore, this may all be overwhelming and understandably so, but we can help you figure this out and understand everything that's happened." Dr. Wells leaned forward in his chair just slightly. "Maybe we can help you recall those memories you're missing. If we could just run some tests?" He let the question hang in the air. "Ever since the initial accident, I've wanted nothing more than to try and help this city despite everything that I have caused."

"I understand, sir." Averey gave a single nod of her head. Her hand twitched at her side before she lifted her arm, holding her hand out to Dr. Wells who shook her hand. She then looked over at Cisco. "To answer your question from before, it looks like I'll be coming back soon, hey."

Cisco clasped his hands in front of him, rolling forwards on the balls of his feet and said with a smile, "Great."

"Dr. Snow, if you could give Ms. Moore a quick tour," Dr. Wells said with a satisfied smile, sitting back against the back rest of his wheelchair. "I wouldn't want her to be late for work." Averey suddenly let out a loud gasp, her eyes widening.

"Holy hell!" she cried, launching to her feet, dropping the towel of ice to the floor. "You're right!"

Caitlin let out a soft laugh. "I checked in with your roommates this morning," she said as she walked over to the girl. "They're glad you're ok, but they reassured me you don't work until the afternoon. You have plenty of time." She gave Averey a smile. "Right this way."

The three remaining men silently watched the girls leave. Dr. Wells was the first to speak as soon as they were out of earshot. "I assure you I have my reasons as to why I wasn't quick to tell our visitor about Barry's identity," he said, turning around to face the two of them. Barry nodded his head. "With her abilities I thought it'd be better to make sure we didn't have another Bette Sans Souci situation on our hands."

"And you wanted to give her a tour of STAR Labs?" Barry asked, his eyebrows angling towards each other.

Dr. Wells smiled. "Not much to report on a closed down laboratory," he replied. "I mean, it's not like we're like Mercury Labs."

Cisco laughed. Once again, Dr. Wells was one step ahead of the game. He snapped his fingers, "what an idea, though."

"Cisco, I'm not going to spy on Mercury Labs," Dr. Wells said, giving Cisco a pointed look.

Cisco put his hands up defensively, a grin coming to his face. "But, you thought about it for a second, right?" he asked. "Right?"

Dr. Wells blinked. "Maybe for a second," he admitted after a moment of silence. "But _only_ a second."

"There's just one thing, though," Barry said, gaining their attention. "Why did Averey come here so late last night?"

"I guess that's something we'll ask when she returns," Dr. Wells replied.

* * *

**A/N: **So this was kind of an info dump chapter, _but_ it's the last of the introductory chapters. Everything really moves forward from here as I start writing the Flarrow episodes.

Does anyone else just love Caitlin and Cisco's friendship? I also kind of had the feeling after watching "The Sound and the Fury" again that he might've had a little crush on Caitlin. Either way, I just loved writing them together.


	7. You're Just Imagining Things

**-Chapter Seven-**

**"You're Just Imagining Things"**

"Would you hurry up?" Averey asked, turning around on her heels, walking backwards to face Casey. "I'm going to be late for work. I don't want them to think I'm skiving."

Casey used a breath of air to move her hair out of her face. She paused to pull her purse strap up her shoulder, pushing the square box she was holding into her chest. "This is heavier than it looks," Casey explained. "I knew I shouldn't have worn heels today." She let out a breath of air. "Thanks for coming to the post office with me, anyway."

"It's on my way," Averey replied with a shrug. "So, what's in Kansas you keep getting mail from?" She stopped walking, waiting for Casey to catch up with her.

"Why are you so interested in my mail?" Casey asked, pulling the square box in her hands closer to her chest.

"I just don't see why you had to pick this up from the post office, when the others have all been delivered to the house," Averey replied. "They're all coming from the same place. That's all."

Casey's eyes narrowed just slightly as she looked over at Averey. An odd feeling flowed through Averey's body, settling in her stomach. It was the same look Casey had given her when she first mentioned wanting a job at Mercury Labs. It was the same look Gavin and Brent shared with Casey whenever they received these types of packages in the mail. The looks were always followed by whispers and hushed conversations, and quick subject changes.

"I have some friends in Metropolis," she finally said after a moment of silence—the sound of her heels clacking on the sidewalk filling up the space. "They're helping me with a project for work." She snapped her fingers. "I forgot to tell you. If you're free tomorrow, I have a block during work where I'm not doing anything if you'd like a tour of Mercury Labs. You know, meet some people, my boss, and see about a job."

"Far out." Averey lifted a hand and brushed her hair back behind her ear, tucking the lock under the arm band of her sunglasses. "I have off tomorrow anyway so that—oof!"

"Hey!"

Averey and Casey were knocked away from each other as a man in a brown jacket barreled through them, walking a strong steady pace. Trying to catch her balance, Averey bumped into something at waist level before grabbing onto a mail drop box to try and hold herself up.

"Hey!" Averey shouted, righting herself. She massaged her hip, trying to rub away the throbbing pain from where she hit the mailbox.

"Watch where you're going!" Casey glared up at him as she picked up her spilled mail.

The man turned around to face them, lifting his dark, round sunglasses from his nose. "My apologies," he said in a cool, low tone. "I didn't see you." An odd purple glow appeared in his eyes, glowing brighter and brighter as the seconds passed. "I'll keep an eye out next time."

"Yeah, you better—"

The purple glow intensified; become a vibrant hue. Every object, every person, every piece of trash in Averey's line of vision was tinged purple in different hues. Blinking seemed to make it disappear little by little and as it did so, a dull ache throbbed at the top of her eyes.

Hearing a metal clang, Averey quickly scrambled to grab her sunglasses that threatened to drop to the pavement. Her knees started to grow weak; she felt her feet sliding out from underneath her as she slowly slid closer and closer to the pavement. With a slightly shaking hand, she hurried to put her sunglasses on, nearly sticking herself in the eye with the arm.

A low groan rumbled in Averey's throat. Her stomach gently swayed this way and that as she waited for her strength to return. The pounding above her eyes faded and the world regained their normal colors. _That was close. _She narrowed her eyes into a glare at the man as he slid his own sunglasses on his face, continuing his path down the street as if nothing had gotten in his way.

"—You bloody knob—"Averey immediately stopped talking as she spotted the little boy lying on the ground. He frowned, rubbing his hands together to dislodge the bits of gravel stuck to him. "Ay, I'm sorry." She hurried over to the little boy and put her hands under his arms, helping him to his feet. "You ok?"

"Yeah," the boy replied, looking up at her with hazel eyes. "I hurt my hands."

"Brady, I told you not to get in anybody's way," an Asian woman said, hurrying over to the boy, carrying a paper bag with one arm.

"My hands hurt," Brady repeated, shoving his palms into his mom's face. She glanced at his hands before she clicked her tongue, running her hand over his hair.

"Aww, you're ok, buddy," she said before reaching into the bag, pulling out a small Styrofoam container. "Nothing a brownie can't fix, right?" A wide smile blossomed on Brady's face before he grabbed the treat out of his mother's hands. "I'm sorry if he got in your way."

"It wasn't his fault," Casey explained, adjusting her purse strap on her shoulder. "Some idiot pushed past us, and she bumped into him." The woman blinked, her eyebrows lifting.

"No worries," Averey added, waving her hand in the air, side stepping the mother and son. "I just hope I didn't hurt him."

"He's going to be ok," the woman said with a laugh as she watched Brady take a large bite of the brownie. She put her hand on his shoulder, starting to guide him down the street. "We better get going. Thank you for helping him."

"Bye," Brady said around a mouthful of food, waving his small hand in the air.

"Bye, sweetie," Averey replied, giving a finger wave. She chuckled as she heard Brady say excitedly, "She called me sweetie" as he headed down the street in the opposite direction. "And people say Aussie's are rude. You'd think he was in a scrum or something."

"English please?" Casey asked.

Averey gave a sweet smile. "I _was _speaking English," she replied with a wink as they came up to a crosswalk. "I'll see you back at home, yeah? You sure you can make it all the way to work carrying that."

"Oh yeah, it'll be a good work out," Casey replied, adjusting the box in her arms. "As soon as I get in, I'll make sure to set up a meeting for you with Tina McGee, and the human resources director, Karla Davis, and I'll see if Gavin and Brent have any free time to meet up for lunch, too."

"Now I'll get to see what you do," Averey commented with as light a tone as she could. She held back a snort. _And remember it, too._

All the whispers, hushed conversations, and changed subjects did get frustrating to deal with. Not that she didn't understand _why _it occurred. Her roommates were all scientists, working in a scientific field, there had to be plenty of things that she, and Mercury Labs, had to keep a tight seal on.

But this just gave her an odd feeling.

Even Cisco, Caitlin, and Dr. Wells at STAR Labs seemed more open to sharing with her their thoughts and ideas and what they could do to help her. For the first time in a while, she's met people who wanted to try and answer her questions and to understand what was going on in her life. It was exciting, but she was also worried about what they could figure out.

She wondered if they even knew the extent of the affects of the release of the dark matter and everything expelled into the air from the accident. Furthermore, if a run down, blacklisted laboratory could be that open to doing everything they could to help her, who knew what Mercury Labs could do with their technology?

"Yeah," Casey agreed with a nod of her head, "I guess you will." Her gaze shifted towards the street lights and she cleared her throat. "Let's hope the place is as interesting to you as you are in it." Her eyebrows twitched upwards just slightly. "And STAR Labs for that matter. What's gotten you so interested in them, anyway?"

Averey shrugged. "I just want to know more about what happened that night," she replied.

Casey huffed. "We already told you what happened," she said, adjusting the box under her arm, putting her free hand on her hip. "You were found knocked out on the side of the road and taken to the hospital. You had to stay for a week after you woke up to make sure you didn't have a concussion or anything else wrong. Then you answered our ad in the paper looking for a roommate and you moved in." She threw her hand in the air. "Anything else you'd like to know?"

"What's got your knickers in a knot?" Averey asked, taken aback at the sudden change in her friend's demeanor.

Casey pressed her lips together into a tight line for a moment before she relaxed them. "Sorry," she apologized, albeit stiffly. "It's just that they're Mercury Labs' competition." She put an apologetic smile to her face. "I haven't had any coffee this morning so I'm a bit cranky."

"I'd deliver some to you," Averey said, shifting her gaze to the building behind her roommate. She focused her vision onto the large clock face sitting on the side of the building. 9:27. "But, I'm already going to be late enough as it is."

She and Casey bid each other farewell before splitting off in two directions, heading towards their respective jobs. Averey flew through the doors of Jitters, the bell overhead chiming, signaling her appearance.

"You're late," Iris said as she hurried around the counter. Averey quickly clocked herself in and reached for her apron from the line of hooks hanging on the wall. In its place, she folded up her sunglasses and carefully set them down on the hook before tying her apron around her waist. "Tracey covered your shift so far. We had a big breakfast rush. It wasn't a pretty sight."

"And I'm sure I'm going to get an earful of it later," Averey muttered, her upper lip curling just slightly as she thought about it. "It's creepy how she can admonish you with a smile." She shuddered just slightly. "It's like my mum."

"Tracey's not that bad," Iris said with a laugh as she handed a customer their change before pushing a plate holding a scone towards them. She then wiped the palms of her hands off on her apron before giving Averey a smile. "Here I thought Barry was the only one who was capable of being late."

"Barry couldn't be on time even if you super glued a giant clock to his arm." Averey looked over at the young woman she just noticed was sitting at the end of the counter, one leg crossed over the other. She looked up from her cell phone, tossing her light blonde hair over her shoulder, contrasting with her light brown skin. "Heck, glue one to both arms and maybe he could catch flight and fly faster."

"Ah, Caramel Macchiato," Averey said, nodding in the girl's direction before moving to create her usual drink. "Pleasure seeing you again."

"I prefer Sage, actually," the girl replied, giving Averey a smile over her shoulder as she shopped down off the counter, sliding her phone into her back pocket. She rested her arms on the counter, with a smile.

"I don't think I've introduced you," Iris said, motioning towards the girl. "This is my cousin, Sage." Iris angled her head in Averey's direction. "This is Averey."

"The blogger," Sage said with a nod of her head. "Great article on Jitters; it certainly sticks to its name."

"This coming from your…what is it? Three coffee a day habit?" Iris asked with a snort.

"Only when I have exams," Sage protested. "Otherwise, it's two." Averey set her freshly made drink down onto the counter before grabbing the bottle of caramel, squeezing a patterned design on top of the white foam. "A little more, please."

"Any more and you'll _really _get Jitters," Eddie commented with a deep laugh as he stepped up behind Iris's cousin. Averey pressed the top of Sage's to-go cup on, sealing it, before pushing it towards her as Eddie leaned over the counter to give Iris a quick kiss in greeting.

Averey blinked in surprise at the sign of affection, looking back and forth between the two of them. "It's gross, right?" Sage asked, grasping her coffee. "In a nice way, of course. They're so sweet together. Should've seen Uncle Joe's reaction when he found out she was dating Detective Pretty Boy."

"_Detective_ Joe West?" Averey repeated, her eyes widening. Eddie and Iris glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes as if silently prompting the other to speak. Averey got a good look at Iris. "I can see the resemblance."

"Could you put more caramel on this, actually?" Sage asked, lifting an eyebrow as she reached for her wallet. She tossed her cousin a sweet smile. "The extra sugar could get me out of here faster than the Flash."

"Speaking of which," Averey said, quickly jumping on to the topic, setting her attention on Iris as she took Sage's money. She moved towards the cash register, tapping her fingers against the touch screen buttons. "Iris, it seems like a lot more people have been sending in sightings of the Flash."

"It's nice to know some people believe in him," Iris said with a tight smile, her gaze shifting over towards Eddie.

Eddie let out a sigh through his nose. "I just don't think we're getting all the answers about this guy as we can," he explained. "We don't know what he's capable of. Black coffee with a spoonful of sugar, please?" Iris gave a nod of her head before going to make his drink.

"Are you trying to get him arrested too?" Averey asked, giving Eddie a pointed look. She handed Sage her change before setting her hands down onto the counter, taping her fingers on the top. "Isn't it normally protocol for cops to have all the details first?"

"For the thousandth time, I'm _sorry_," Eddie said. Averey watched his jaw tighten, a muscle in his side twitching, hidden under the stubble on his jaw. "I was just doing my job and following what I had been trained to do."

"You were actually arrested?" Sage asked, smacking her lips after she had taken a sip of her coffee. Her hazel eyes widened as she leaned forward across the counter. Averey leaned back just as far. "Were you put in jail? Fingerprinted? Mug shot?" She gasped. "Dude...do you have any tattoos?"

"Sage!" Iris said, setting Eddie's coffee down onto the counter. He grasped it with one hand, reaching for his ringing cell phone for the other.

Sage put her hands up defensively, straightening her posture. "I have to get going or I'm going to miss the bus to my first class," she announced. She lifted her coffee cup into the air as she headed towards the door. "Worth the wait."

Eddie reached for his phone as it rang. After a quick conversation, he hung up, a serious look crossing his face. "Gotta go," Eddie said with a sigh, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He quickly paid for his drink."Duty calls; bank robbery." He gave Iris a gentle smile. "Thank you. We'll talk later?"

"Of course," Iris replied, giving him a smile in return. "Be careful, ok?"

"I will." Eddie gave a nod in farewell before hurrying out the door.

Iris bowed her head for a moment. "I don't understand why he thinks the Flash could have ulterior motives," she said quietly. "He's helping us, helping the city."

"People are afraid of what they don't understand," Averey replied with a shrug. Iris swung her head around to face her, lifting her eyebrows in a "Are you taking _his _side?" kind of way. Averey briefly closed her eyes. "He just wants answers. You can't blame him for that and it's not asking for much." How many times had she said those same words to her own mom?

"I guess," Iris muttered.

Averey grasped the abandoned bottle of caramel, setting it in the basket with the whipped cream and chocolate syrup. A bright yellow light bouncing off of the shiny metal espresso machine caught her attention. Reflected in the shiny surface was a shimmering figure with glowing red eyes standing out against crackling lighting of a deep red color.

With a gasp, she quickly turned around…to face the patrons of the coffee shop. Nothing out of the ordinary. She looked back at the espresso machine, but nothing was there. The soft sunlight reflected a warm glow, but nothing red.

"Hey, are you ok?" Iris asked, stepping up beside her. Her lips were pulled downwards into a frown of concern. "You look a little pale." Averey nodded her head, pushing forward the best smile she could muster. "Maybe you should go sit down for a minute. You really don't look well."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Averey gave a nod of her head before making her way to the break room in the back. She dropped down into an empty chair and ran her hands over her face. _It was just the sunlight. That's all. _Averey sat with her hands over her face for a moment before dropping them into her lap, trying to get herself to relax.

She certainly wasn't the only one on edge today. That gave her a small sense of comfort, but what were the odds of everyone being off, or short with each other, on the same day? In fact, she hadn't ever really seen Casey short tempered until that morning. Sure, Averey could admit that perhaps she _was _pressing the subject of her roommate's mail and work life more than she should. But, not enough to warrant a half-answer. If she could even call it that.

Averey glanced back at the door before removing her cell phone from her pocket. "Now that I have some time," she said to herself, quickly unlocking her phone. Tapping the Google search bar, it opened and she quickly typed in 23rd Magnolia Street, Metropolis, Kansas. A list of results instantly popped up and Averey pulled her phone closer to her face, narrowing her eyes slightly. They all pointed her to one place.

"Belllly Reeevay?" she quietly asked, holding out the words as she tried to correctly pronounce the syllables. She switched over to Google translate and typed in the words, and the page loaded quickly indicating that it was French. "Wish I learned another language." She tapped her thumb to hear the pronunciation. _Belle Reve?_

"_Averey_."

A low humming sound filled the air, surrounding the harsh whisper of her name. A shiver rolled down Averey's spine, goosebumps lifting on her arms. She slowly lifted her gaze from the phone, and nearly knocked her chair over in her haste to scramble away from the glowing red eyes hovering in front of her. Her hair was suddenly whipped around her face as it moved with a blur of red lightning to the corner of the break room.

"_Averey_."

Averey's lips trembled, her breaths coming out shaky. Her phone dropped to the floor as she clutched the arm rests of the chair. "You're not here." Averey swallowed thickly, shaking her head back and forth. "You're not here." She slapped her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut, pulling her knees up to her chest. "You're not here."

"_Where is he?_"

Averey flinched, as the harsh voice, and the low hum surrounded her, pressing on her ears from all sides. And then it stopped. Averey slowly lowered her hands, lifting her head. The break room was empty; she was the only one in the room. She slowly lowered her feet to the floor, looking into every corner of the room. A long sigh, rushed past her lips as she slumped in her seat.

"You're just imagining things, Ave," she said to herself, running her hands over her face. "Just like mum always said. There's nothing there."

* * *

**A/N: **And the start of the Flarrow episodes. It's back to the STAR Labs team real soon. Sorry for the wait. Thank you for checking out my story.


	8. Eyes in the Back of My Head

**-Chapter Eight-**

**"Eyes in the Back of My Head"**

Working at Mercury Labs was never a lifelong goal for Gavin Turner but he wouldn't leave his position as a physiologist whether the laboratory had gained a giant lead in the technological and scientific race against STAR Labs or not. After the accident, working at Mercury Labs, or even being hired as a new recruit was something that could make headlines in a local paper.

And if there was one goal at Mercury Labs, it was to make headlines. With STAR Labs out of the way, there was nothing to stop them from being the laboratory to keep an eye on. A curse and a blessing as Gavin, and any other employee, were quick to find out. Security had been tightened; computers could be monitored if there was any inkling of suspicious activity, and all for good reason.

Gavin blinked as his internet browser was suddenly minimized, the Mercury Labs logo on his desktop staring him back in the face. A chat window popped up, a giant, bold, number 10 appearing with a small chime. He sucked in a breath of air before swiveling his head to the left and right, checking the halls that surrounded his office. Clearing his throat, he placed his hands on his keyboard and quickly sent back a series of question marks.

He barely lifted his fingers from his keyboard when a response came. _The Cube. 5 minutes_.

Gavin closed out the window and shut off the monitor to his computer. He left his office and stepped out into the hall, adjusting his shirt collar, loosening a button. He lifted his hand in a wave to the woman in the office across the way before making his way down the hall, past the break room as a swell of laughter rolled out the door, and stopped at the water cooler, checking his watch.

Three minutes left.

Letting out a loud cough, clearing his throat, he reached for the stack of cups on top of the water container, and filled it before leaning up against the wall, taking a long sip. The sound of heels clacking on the tiled floor caught his attention and he straightened, giving Dr. McGee a smile.

"Morning doctor," he said, reaching for a cup, lifting an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, yes, please," Dr. McGee replied, adjusting her grip of her briefcase as she switched it from one hand to the other. "I've been up and down these halls today, meeting after meeting. Haven't had any time to take a breath."

"Please do," he said as he handed her the water.

"Thank you very much," Dr. McGee said as she took the plastic cup from him. She quickly drank the water before letting out a sigh, crushing the cup in her hand.

"Not to bog you down any more with the idea of another meeting," Gavin said, swirling his left over water around in his cup. Some of it sloshed over the side the droplets hitting the floor with a _splat. _"I can still meet with you today to discuss the virtual lab prototype."

Dr. McGee smiled. "Yes, I reckon you're excited to see that project lift off," she commented,

Gavin gave a half smile. "Well, I can only experiment on humans for so long," he replied. "Knowing they're willingly taking part in experiments, hoping we find a cure…a-a resolution for whatever it is they're suffering through." He sucked in a deep breath of air before letting it out through his nose, taking a sip of water. He swished the liquid around his mouth before he swallowed, smacking his lips. "And it doesn't always wind up that way."

Dr. McGee sighed, her shoulders dropping just slightly. She tossed her crushed cup into the trashcan before lifting her free hand to brush her hand over her short blond hair. "I understand that what we do here is hard, and maybe you do some of the hardest work—getting attached to those who…well, to put it simply, those who know they won't make it." She blinked, pressing her lips together for a moment. "However, you know as well as I do that they're choosing to help us greatly improve our studies to help others with the same conditions."

"Mmmhmm." Gavin slowly nodded his head. He held back a snort. _Not that attached, doctor._

"Mr. Turner, you're one of our hardest workers here," Dr. McGee stated, taking a step closer towards him. "You go above and beyond what is asked of you, if you ever need a break…some time off to clear your mind, get in the right headspace."

"I appreciate it, Dr. McGee, but I love my work too much to leave even for a minute," Gavin replied. He quickly finished his water before tossing the empty cup into the trash can. "We're on the cusp of creating something…impossible." He gave a small nod of his head, muttered an, "excuse me," and continued his path down the hall.

Slowing his pace, he came up to a conference room door. He glanced over his shoulder, twisting his mouth to the side as he watched Dr. McGee disappear around the corner. Hey rapped his knuckles on the wooden door before twisting the handle, allowing himself inside the room.

"Got stopped by Dr. McGee, so I don't need any comments about being late," he said to Brent and Casey as soon as he was inside the room. "And I thought I said that if we're going to be doing any _communicating_ it was to be through texts." He nodded towards the box sitting on the table. "What's that?"

"Arrived from Belle Reve just this morning," Brent explained from where he sat along the dark table. He slowly twisted back and forth in his swivel chair.

"We were waiting for you before we open it," Casey said, tapping her fingernails on the table from where she stood at the head. Her eyes narrowed just slightly as she gazed over at Gavin. "And I knew you were at your desk, so what difference does it make?"

"Anybody could've seen," Gavin muttered. He clasped his hands behind his neck. "You also knew I had my other phone on me." He gave a wry smile, dropping his arms down to his sides. "Whatever. We're here now, so let's get this over with. I have to make sure you got the right things anyway."

He stepped around the table and reached for the box. Casey slapped her hand down on top, a loud pop splitting the air. Brent stopped twisting, looking back and forth between the two of them, otherwise staying silent.

"Why?" Casey asked, her eyes cutting towards Gavin. "You don't think I can handle a small job like this?" Gavin's lips twitched. "Because I'm the only girl that's gotten as high up as an eight? Because I'm the only girl left in Central City's division?"

Brent quickly moved towards the door. He stuck his head out, looking up and down the hall before closing the door. "First off," he said in a tight voice, "we don't need everyone in the office listening in, so I ask you to lower your voice. Secondly, you're _not_ the only girl left; there's still Queen. And thirdly, what's gotten into you?"

"Yes, what's up with that outburst." Gavin slowly lifted an eyebrow, his lips twitching at Casey's outburst. He crossed his arms over his chest, letting out a sigh through his nose. "Something you want to share with the class?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Casey slowly removed her hand from the box. "Averey's starting to ask about all the mail we've been getting," Casey said as she adjusted her button-up shirt before sliding the palms of her hands down her skirt. She tapped her foot, the carpet dulling the sound.

"She's never asked before," Brent said, shaking his head from side to side.

"That's because she's never remembered enough to ask," Gavin explained, tapping his chin with his index finger. "Literally." A hum rumbled in his throat. "It wore off faster than I'm sure even Dr. Hale thought it would."

"Come on, Gav, you can't have someone walking around on autopilot for a year," Brent commented as he adjusted the rolled up cuffs of his shirt. "We've just been slipping up, easy as that."

"With how little sleep you've been getting, I'm not too surprised," Gavin muttered. Casey snorted and Brent's eyes narrowed. Gavin put his hands up defensively. "I'm just saying. I made stupid mistakes on lack of sleep, too. We just have to make sure there aren't as many. God knows Averey will remember them to throw back in our faces sooner or later."

"Yeah, or _you_," Casey shot back. "We've been doing fine; we don't need you to double check what we're doing, too."

"We've already got Dr. Caselli breathing down our backs, anyhow," Brent quietly added, turning his head to the side.

"You both have been a part of the Royal Flush Gang long enough to know the pecking order," Gavin said, slowly blinking. He lifted his hand and started to count off on his fingers. "King, Queen, Jack—" he then jabbed himself in the chest, and then over at Brent, and stopping on Casey, "Ten, Nine, Eight. As long as Ace, King, Queen, and Jack are gone, as you very well know they are, _I'm _next in line and _I'm _not going to have this screwed up under my watch."

_I can't. We've done so much already. _He started to pace back and forth. _We've been working too hard on this._ The small squeaking of his shoes and the swishing of his pants as he took long strides cut through the silence that filled the room. "Open the box," he said, snapping his fingers. He turned around to face Casey who regarded him coolly. Gavin let out a long sigh, closing his eyes. "Case, please? I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"Yeah, me too," Casey replied. "I think I'm just stressed. I've been short tempered all morning."

"If you two have patched things up, could you open this anytime soon?" Brent asked, putting his hands up in the air. He looked back and forth between his roommates, checking that they weren't going to start fighting each other. "If I don't get my work done today, there's no way I'll have any free time tomorrow to show Averey around."

"Is she planning on coming?" Gavin asked, taking a step closer towards the head of the table. Brent joined Casey on the other side. "For sure?"

"She says she is," Casey replied with a shrug. "You know how she is when she sets her mind on something." Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "We could really use someone like that on our team." Her eyes then widened in feigned innocence. "Oh, but wait, we already have Gavin."

"We don't have anyone as dedicated to one job as Averey," Gavin said after giving Casey a look of annoyance. "She's spent her most of her life looking for her dad, and like you said, once she puts her mind to something…"

Brent reached into his pants pocket and retrieved a pocket knife. He unfolded the blade and stuck it into the tape on the box, quickly cutting through the tape. He dropped his knife onto the table with a clatter and pulled the flaps open. "Pottery?" he asked, reaching into the box, taking out a mug wrapped n bubble wrap.

"No wonder it was heavy," Casey commented, helping him empty the box. "But, it's not the only thing in here." She picked up another mug and unwrapped the bubble wrap before tilting the mug towards her palm. Gavin watched as a medical vial fell out into her hand. "Want her to run on auto pilot again, we've got what we need."

"And then some." Brent dumped the contents of another mug into his hand. A mass of colorful wires sticking out of a black cube bounced into his palm. "This is for the scanner, right?" Casey nodded. "Nice."

"Perfect," Gavin said as he reached into the bottom of the box, pulling out a manila folder. He flipped open the front and paper clipped to the inside cover was a large image of Averey Moore. "Belle Reve Sanitarium Patient Profile," he read aloud. "Averey Moore; patient 97326. Patient demonstrates oculus capabilities that are beyond the capabilities of the average human. Testing has been conducted at Belle Reve—" Brent let out a snort, "—with results being obtained weekly. Further testing has been recommended."

"And they'll be getting their results soon enough," Casey commented, lifting a second medical vial, holding it between her forefinger and thumb.

"Patient has passed preliminary vision exams, cognitive exams, psychomotor exams, blah, blah, blah," Gavin continued to read aloud. "Patient is efficient in and kick boxing."

Brent let out a laugh of disbelief. "How can someone as…selectively clumsy as her be good at kick boxing?" he asked, shaking his head. "Doesn't it promote balance or some crap like that?"

Gavin stared at him. "That's the _only _thing you picked out of that?" Brent slowly shrugged. "As long as she can use that balance mentally, who cares?" Gavin asked. "Alright, let's wrap this up and get back to work. I'll let King know of the information we've got." He looked over at Casey lifting his hand, curling his fingers to form a fist. "Great work, Case. I mean it."

Casey's eyes darted over towards him, silently regarding him. The red blaze in her eyes slowly distinguished and she smiled. Lifting her hands to brush her hair behind her ears before bumping Gavin's fist with her own. "Thanks," she said with a smile. She then nodded her head in Brent's direction. "You're up next, B."

"Just give me the word and I'll get started," Brent replied.

"Hide this in your office until we get home," Gavin ordered, "finish work as you usually would. We can look over everything and discuss the next step as soon as I get word back from King." He lifted a finger in the air, lowering his voice as Brent and Casey started packing things up. "Until then, act natural. Finish your daily tasks, Brent continue working on your project, continue meeting with Dr. McGee, nothing out of the ordinary. Got it?"

* * *

Harrison removed his glasses from his nose, using the heel of his palm to rub at his tired, burning eyes. He let out a sigh, resting his chin in his palm, staring at the graphs, figures, and numbers splashed all over the monitor in front of him. Papers were spread out over the table, crunching and folding together as he moved to try and get himself more comfortable.

He knew he never would be. Not in this world. Or rather this version of it.

"Thank you, Caitlin," Harrison said as he leaned back in his chair. He opened his eyes, craning his neck upwards to give Caitlin a small smile of gratitude as she set a steaming mug of coffee down onto the table by his arm.

"How'd you know it was me?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, you could say I have eyes in the back of my head," Harrison replied, tilting his head just slightly. "I heard your shoes on the floor."

"I didn't mean to interrupt you, Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I'll just get going."

"An interruption from you is a great reprieve," Dr. Wells commented, putting his glasses back on. "I must say." He reached for the steaming mug and took a long sip. "Day after day you get it just right. Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's just…you've been secluding yourself in here for a long while," Caitlin explained, "Cisco and I were starting to get worried." She gave him a smile, parting her red lips into a smile. "Thought you needed a little pick me up."

"You know, I don't know if it's due to your background in bioengineering," Harrison said as he maneuvered his chair around so he could face her. "Or maybe it's just a nurturing side of you, but you always seem to know the wants and needs of everyone here."

"Well, I've been working here for a while now," Caitlin said as she reached out for the arm rest of the chair sitting next to him. She lowered herself down onto the cushion and crossed one leg over the other. "I like to think I know my friends and co-workers well enough by now. Favorite drinks, favorite snacks." She shrugged her shoulders. "Brings some comfort here I suppose."

"It's funny," Harrison commented, his eyebrows twitching. "You can know someone to a T, their faults, and hopes, and dreams. But, there are still things about them that you don't know." He watched as a look of confusion, or worry, crossed her face. "It's just an observation."

"Kind of a depressing one," Caitlin commented.

Harrison took another sip of coffee. "But the truth nonetheless," he said with a small sigh. "I mean no one ever thought the great Harrison Wells could destroy so many lives in a single moment." He let out a bitter laugh. "And there's not a day that goes by where I wonder where we'd be if the accident hadn't occurred. You'd be married."

Caitlin's lips twitched, a cloud of sadness shrouding the light in her eyes. She sucked in a breath of air before letting it out through her nose. A part of him felt bad for bringing up her deceased fiancée but at the same time, it would help her to talk about Ronnie more. This was like a whole new Caitlin. He had seen her happy, in love, and now, because of him, she had to try and learn who Caitlin was all over again.

He could sympathize. After Tess's death… Harrison gave a brief shake of his head. He tried not to let himself think about her. Not when there was work that needed to be done. Barry wouldn't get up to the speed he needed to be at. Averey…well, he wouldn't figure out the extent of her visionary gifts if he didn't concentrate on the task at hand. He wouldn't be able to use either of them for his advantage.

"I apologize."

"Dr. Wells, you can't blame yourself for that," Caitlin said, reaching a hand forward, placing it on his forearm. Harrison's eyes flickered towards her hand before looking back up at her. Caitlin quickly pulled her hand back, the warmth spreading across his skin. Lingering. Clearing her throat, she brushed her hair back behind her ears. "Cisco and I don't blame you for what happened, you know."

"I know," Harrison replied, nodding his head. "And I appreciate that. I appreciate the both of you for sticking around." He tapped his fingernails against the mug. "Things would've been pretty bleak without the two of you here. Certainly wouldn't be making this much progress with Barry if you weren't."

"Of course," Caitlin replied, giving him a half smile. "Cisco and I enjoy working here. You've done so much for us."

"No." Harrison shook his head. "It's the reverse, actually." His lips lifted at the corners into a half smile. "You all have done so much for me." He settled back against the cushion of his chair, wrapping his hands around the mug, trying to internalize its heat as it slowly cooled off. "For that I am forever grateful. If I could help Barry, or even Averey, understand their abilities, the abilities I caused for them to have, then I've given back just a little. I've done what I set out to do and used my talents to help others."

"Plus, Cisco is really getting a run for his money what with all the, 'toys' as he eloquently puts it, he needs to make," Caitlin added. She grasped the arm rests of her chair and got to her feet. "Again, I apologize for interrupting you. I'm going to get back before Cisco starts another fire trying to make a fire resistant…anything."

Harrison let out a chuckle. "I appreciate you sitting with me, Caitlin," Harrison commented. "As I said before, it was a nice break from...all of this." He waved a hand in the air before giving her a warm smile. "Thank you. Call me, please, when Barry arrives."

"There was a robbery at a bank this morning so he might be a while," Caitlin explained. Her shoulders slumped just slightly. "It was my bank, too. So, I'll be spending my day making phone calls and being placed on hold." Her nose wrinkled slightly. "I'd appreciate any and all interruptions."

"I'll keep that in mind," Harrison replied. He set his coffee mug down onto the table just as a loud siren hit the air. He lifted his gaze to the giant flat screen mounted on the upper wall, facing him. The screen flickered and an image of Averey popped up on screen. She paced back and forth from one side of the building's elevator to the other, chewing on her thumbnail.

"_It's Averey_." Cisco's voice crackled over the intercom. "_She said she needed to talk to you, Dr. Wells._"

Harrison curled his fingers into a fist, running his thumb over his fingers. He leaned over in his chair, positioning his mouth over the small, round microphone. He switched on the receiver. "Let her in, I'll be there in a minute." He then settled back in his seat. "Caitlin, please go and make sure that the Flash suit is behind closed doors. Go. _Now._"

"Right away," Caitlin said before hurrying off, her heels loudly clacking on the flooring as she did so.

Once the sound of hurried footsteps died away, Harrison maneuvered his chair back from the table. He pressed his elbows onto the arm rests and laced his fingers together. "Welcome back, Averey Moore," he said quietly before heading towards the exit of the room. "Let's get started, shall we?" As Harrison wheeled himself into the Cortex, he came to a sudden stop as Averey marched towards him. "Yes?"

"What kind of tests did you give me?"Averey asked. Harrison silently regarded her. Chewing on her nails, pacing, repeatedly grasping at her head.

"Before I answer that question, I implore you to calm down," he said slowly.

"I already explained to her that we've just taken initial tests at any other optometrist or ophthalmologist," Cisco quickly explained, turning away from Averey. "Dilation, eye health, measurements. She says that she's been…seeing things that aren't there."

"I'm not _saying _it, I'm _seeing _it," Averey replied.

"That's yet to be seen," Harrison commented. He looked around the wide room, eyes landing on the Flash suit. He set his jaw, anger in his chest. "Where's Caitlin?" He tried to keep his voice level, calm.

"Went to go get Averey's information," Cisco replied, grasping onto Averey's arms at her next lap of pacing. "Hey, calm down, ok?" Averey set her wide-eyed, unfocused, gaze on him. "Deep breaths in and out. I promise you, that anything we did here was safe. Ok?"

"Yes, I can attest to that," Harrison replied, rolling himself forward just slightly. "We wouldn't have done anything if it would risk your well being." He paused for a moment, getting the irony; reassuring someone of not risking their well being when the particle accelerator had done just that. "You're safe here."

"Ok," Averey said, repeatedly nodding her head. "Ok, ok." She let out a deep breath of air. "I believe you."

"Nevertheless," Cisco said with a smile, taking a step back from her. "I'm glad you came back." Harrison lifted a closed fist, pressing his mouth against the back of his hand to hide his smile. The younger man was well versed in the world of science; that was for sure. Cisco then quickly moved over to the computers. "Uh, I mean, it's good you came back with this problem. Well, it's not good that you have a problem—I'm sure we can help."

"I'm positive we can," Caitlin said, hurrying back into the room, a clipboard clutched tightly in her hand. "Look; normal eye muscle movement, papillary reactions are good." She placed a hand on Averey's shoulder, handing her the test results. "See? You don't have glaucoma, your retinas are fine."

"And…and these were the same kinds of tests you gave to Barry?" Averey asked, looking over the papers in front of her. She looked up when she got no response. Caitlin and Cisco were giving him frozen looks, silently begging for help.

"Kind of," Dr. Wells slowly replied, stretching the syllables. "We're running different kind of tests on him. But, he is a Metahuman, yes."

"He's kind of…" Cisco let his sentence hang when Caitlin gave him a look of alarm. "Erm."

Harrison watched as Averey's eyes darted from person to person before focusing on a spot over Cisco's shoulder. "Holy," she whispered, feeling his jaw drop. Harrison squinted, leaning forward in his seat slightly as he watched Averey's pupils slowly widen. They stretched until they nearly covered her irises in its entirety.

"Man that is _so_ freaky," Cisco said with a smile that was half awe and half excitement. "But, also, _really _cool."

"Oh my god," Caitlin whispered, lifting a hand to cover her mouth. She turned back towards him. "I'm sorry, Dr. Wells, she just came in so quickly and—"

Averey let out a loud gasp, squeezing her eyes shut. When she opened them, her pupils had shrunk, but still not back to their original size. "He's…he's…"

"I just got back from the bank." Harrison closed his eyes as he felt the familiar rush of wind shoot past him. Papers rustled to the floor. "So much money was stolen, but what was so weird was that everyone was saying—"

Harrison opened his eyes and watched Averey regard Barry. Her lips trembled slightly. "You're the Flash," she said, lifting a shaking finger over at Barry.

Barry stood frozen, eyes wide with panic. "Uhh, n-no," Barry said, shaking his head. "I'm—"

"Dude," Cisco said, lifting an eyebrow. "She doesn't forget things she sees. I mean, come on." Barry's lips parted as he lifted his hands, threading his fingers together before sliding them down the back of his head.

"How did I not see the suit before?" Averey asked. Caitlin slowly stepped forward and carefully took the clipboard back from her, putting a hand on the Australian's shoulder.

"We had hidden it," Harrison explained. "We've had a previous situation that have hindered our trust in who we reveal Barry's identity to."

Averey looked back and forth between the suit and Barry. "But…but that's impossible," Averey took a couple steps closer towards Barry. "I was here before and you never bloody said anything."

"I can assure you that Barry is indeed the Flash," Harrison insisted before Barry could say anything. "But, the more pressing matter at this moment is, what you've been seeing."

"Him," Averey replied, pointing at Barry. "But, there's no way."

"Averey, Barry _is _the Flash," Caitlin said gently. "He was affected the night of the particle accelerator accident, too. He gained his super speed after being hit by lightning."

"And he was in a coma for 10 months, I know," Averey replied. "That's not what I mean, mate. I mean, how can _Barry _be the Flash…when I saw the Flash in my flat 18 years ago?" Cisco lifted an eyebrow before turning to face Barry. Caitlin hugged the clipboard to her chest.

Barry's eyes widened, startled. "_What_?" He asked, his voice cracking. He shook his head back and forth. "Did you just say—I wasn't…how could I be?"

Harrison hummed before spinning his wheelchair around to face the speedster. _Now we're getting somewhere, Miss Moore. _He pressed his lips together, watching the scene unfold before him. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand," Harrison said quietly.

"The Flash was in my room when I was a kid," Averey replied. She started to pace again taking slow steps. "I remember waking up and seeing red lightning. Normally, our neighbors often had late night bonfires, so I thought I was just seeing that." She lifted her thumbnail to her mouth, a crunching sound hitting the air as she chewed on it again. "I knew it was different, though. And then he was standing in the corner of my room. I saw a shape in that red lightning, I could see right through him. I've never forgotten it."

"And you saw that today?" Caitlin asked. Averey nodded.

"Are you sure?" Cisco pressed.

"Yes, at work," Averey replied. "At Jitters."

"I haven't been at Jitters at all today," Barry protested. "I got up late, as usual, and then had to go into work about the bank robbery. I debriefed at the station and then came here." Barry dropped his arms down by his sides. "You're _sure_ you saw this suit in Jitters today?"

"Yes." Averey swallowed. "Look, while living in Central City after a couple months I had learned of Iris's blog and everything she knew about the Flash. And I finally thought I could get answers on what I saw that night. You two seemed close when I met you at Jitters so I thought you'd know something about him, too."

"The night that Farooq bloke came, I came here to STAR Labs to ask more about the night of the accident because I wanted to know if you could help me understand the accident. I can only read and understand so much from the reports and news articles and everything. I recognized Farooq from Jitters."

"Averey, Iris doesn't know that I'm the Flash," Barry said, his voice suddenly gravelly. He took a step towards Averey. "And you have to promise me that you _won't _tell her. I know you're working with her now, and I know you want answers, but its better…it's _safer _that she doesn't know."

"That's why we didn't tell you, either," Harrison added. "For you and for us. There are many metahumans out there, some that want revenge on me for what I've done." He licked his lips and clenched his teeth before giving Averey a half smile. "You're the first that just wants questions answered. Thank you for that."

"Sure, I guess." Averey gave a slight nod of her head. She then started rubbing her hands together. "So, what do you think I've been seeing? You think it's part of these abilities I got? Seeing things that aren't there?"

"It's possible," Harrison muttered. "Have you heard of PTSD? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?'

"Oh yeah, beware of those coffee creamers," Cisco said, his words dripping with sarcasm. "They can really put you in harm's way."

"Well, they _are _high in fat," Caitlin commented. "Averey, was there any chance today you felt stressed out?"

A thoughtful look crossed Averey's face. "I thought I was going to be late for work today," she responded.

"Hmm, where have I heard that before?" Caitlin asked, giving Barry a pointed look.

"Back to the topic at hand, please," Harrison said, increasing the volume of his voice just slightly. "Was there anything out of the ordinary that happened today?"

"Umm, I went to the post office with Casey, my roommate," Averey said, tapping her chin. "It was on my way to work so I went with her. There was this guy who was in a hurry, he knocked us over on his way to wherever he was going. I remember because he didn't seem to be that sorry that he did it. He had these dark sunglasses, and his hair was swept off to the side." She ran her hand over her head, moving her hair to the side she described. "And he was carrying this side bag, like a satchel or something."

"Anything else?" Harrison asked.

"There was this…purple light," Averey answered. She frowned. "That's really it. I went to work and then…"

"Wait, a _purple _light?" Barry asked. "Not red?" Averey shook her head. Barry crossed his arms over his chest before lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Mr. Allen?" Harrison prompted. Barry let out a breath of air, giving a small laugh of disbelief.

"I think you got whammied," Barry announced.

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for checking out my story. I'm glad everyone's liking the inclusion of Belle Reve.

_babyj: _Thank you for the suggestion of having a scene from the point of view of one of Averey's roommates. I hadn't thought about it, but I think it really worked well here and pushed their story forward a bit more.

_Kellie: _Glad you're excited about Belle Reve. I hope you like what I do with it.


	9. I Know What I Saw

**-Chapter Nine-**

**"I Know What I Saw"**

Barry bit down on his thumbnail as he paced the cortex of STAR Labs. Being "whammied" had to be the only explanation. One minute Averey bumped into, whoever the metahuman was, and the next she was seeing him everywhere. Or rather, The Flash. The fact that she saw a purple light instead of red had to have something to do with it. It might not even be the same metahuman, but the similarities were too close.

Not just that, but the man in the lightning. Barry ran his fingers through his hair, locking his fingers behind his neck, letting out a sigh through his nose. How many times had he tried to convince someone that the night of his mother's death was a strange occurrence? How many times had he been told that he "was just imagining things," or that he "was just tired?"

_Bzzzz. Bzzzz._

Barry reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. He unlocked his phone and his eyes instantly landed on his e-mail where a number one, encircled by an orange and white. Tapping the icon, his e-mail opened and he saw he had a new alert email: _Saved By the Flash has posted a new blog post._ He tapped the link with his thumb and mobile web opened revealing the newest post; a short and simple text post asking if The Flash would be at Jitters that night.

It, like the others, would be deleted in five minutes time. Without Iris knowing his true identity, it was the easiest way for her to get in contact with him without getting in contact with him. Barry's grip tightened around his phone as he stared down at the message. After a moment of silence, he deleted the email, sliding his cell phone back into his pocket.

He could already hear Caitlin's lecture about meeting her as the Flash. He wasn't doing it for selfish purposes. Iris was working on her journalistic skills and by writing on the Flash she was able to get all the experience she needed. It was a bonus that it was for a grade as well and with his help, she'd get a good one. After all, it was kind of his fault that she was in a journalism course to begin with. Plus, it was nice to know he could still be connected with her as their paths drifted apart.

After moving into the West household, he couldn't remember a time where they hadn't been so close. It was right after that night. Barry wrapped an arm around his chest, massaging his shoulder blade. He could practically feel the metal of the police chair digging into his back like it had 15 years ago. The achiness in his bones and his eyes had burned from the lack of sleep after having been driven to the police station. He didn't know how he had gotten out of his house so quickly.

As he had sat in the police station he grew increasingly tired. His feet ached from running back to his house—he didn't even know how he had gotten so far away in the first place. He was tired of being asked questions and given commands left and right from whoever it was that "just wants to know what happened' that night. There was nowhere to sleep and he was on high alert.

"I just want to go home," he would say over and over again. "Where's my dad? Why can't I go home?" He just wanted to know where his dad was and to know what happened.

_Everyone_ wanted to know what happened. Who killed his mom? And why?

"Did your mom and dad ever fight?" the police officer, officer number 4, asked pen tip poised over a notepad of paper. "Were they ever at odds with each other? Do you have any ideas as to why your dad would do something like this?"

"I don't know," Barry groaned, putting his head down on the table. "I don't know why you're asking me this." He watched as a thin film of condensation spread across the table top with each breath. "I don't know why I can't see my dad."

"You can see him soon," the man replied. "Now, Joe said—"

"Joe said I could go home soon," Barry muttered, interrupting the man. "I've been here for hours."

"It's just for a few more minutes, Barry, that's all. This is really important." Barry lifted his head, propping his hand up with his fist. He slowly blinked, holding back a yawn. "Joe has offered you his home for the night, and we'll soon have you tucked in safe and sound while we figure things out, but we need you to help us first. Now, what did you see after you got back to your house?"

"Police, my dad, my mom," Barry replied.

"And how did you get out of your house? Did you run? Take your bike?"

"No, I ran home." Barry shook his head. "I've already told you this."

''Ahhh, Barry." The police officer's low chuckle instantly spiked Barry's annoyance. Maybe he was just tired, but it sounded like he was being mocked. Like he wasn't being taken seriously. "Joe could tell you that while being a police officer sounds exciting, the aftermath of any crime is really just boring. Boring paperwork, boring questionings—asking the same thing over and over again. It's to see if your story holds up."

"It's not a story it's the truth," Barry insisted.

"Barry, we found some bruises and cuts on you." Barry blinked, staring back at the man. The man lifted a hand and rubbed his palm over his large nose and heavy jowls. "I know this is hard, but did something happen? With your father? Was your mom trying to protect you from him?"

Barry felt his eyebrows lower towards each other, the muscles in his forehead tensing. "_No_," he said. Or maybe he shouted it. His throat burned and he swallowed repeatedly. "The man in the lightning did this. I already told you that. The lightning got me out of the house."

"Now, Barry, we both know that's not possible. If anyone had been struck by lightning, they'd be in the hospital…or worse. Let's try this again from the very beginning." The man cleared his throat. "What caused you to wake up that night?"

His throat tightened, a lump forming. His vision shook and swam as tears well up in his eyes before they started sliding down his cheeks. "Why won't anyone believe me?" he asked. He slapped his hands down onto the table. "Why won't _you_ believe me? I don't know what you want me to say."

"I want you to tell me the truth, Barry," the man replied. "I know you're a nice little boy and I know you don't want your dad to get in trouble. You're not in trouble here, we just want the truth."

"I _am _telling you the truth!" Barry lept to his feet. His chair clattered to the floor. The sudden, loud movement didn't even cause the man to flinch. "I am! My dad didn't do this. It was the man in the lightning; the man in lightning killed my mom and got me out of the house. I want to go home, _please_."

The door burst open and Joe hurried into the room. Barry threw himself at the African American man, burying his face into the man's stomach. "It's ok, son," Joe said in a low, comforting tone. He placed a warm hand on the back of his head, ruffling his hair. His vocal tone then suddenly changed. "I told you I didn't want anyone else questioning him, _especially _without me being present."

"Joe—"

"This ends. _Now_."

"Barry!" Barry blinked, giving a sharp shake of his head. He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his head. "Barry?"

"Sorry?" he asked, snapping back to attention. Everyone was staring at him, concern etched on their faces. "What were you saying?" Caitlin pointed a finger towards the monitors that lined the walls of the cortex. _How long was I out of it? _A scan, MRI or CAT scan he wasn't too sure, was projected on the screen a large swatch of red and yellow glowing like Christmas lights. "What are we looking at?"

"Detective West was able to send over the data from the scans of those affected at the hospital," Caitlin explained, keeping a concerned gaze on him for a moment. "Seems everyone at the bank only had these 'whammy' effects for a short period of time?'

"Caitlin, I can assure you that anyone with emotions can hold onto those feelings for longer than anyone could give them credit for," Dr. Wells pointed out, "Anger being one of those emotions." He stretched his arms over his head before crossing his arms over his chest. "I've met some in my field who seemed to harbor a grudge for longer than necessary."

Barry caught the pointed look he sent in Caitlin and Cisco's directions. "In my defense," Cisco spoke up, his usual laid back demeanor gone, "Hartley is a dick." He sat up straighter in his seat, jaw set. "And I'm not the only one who thinks that."

"Only I wouldn't exactly put it in those terms," Caitlin commented, shaking her hair out of her face.

"Well, if he's a dick, then he's a right dick," Averey said matter of factly. "There's no other way to put it, is there?" Cisco let out a laugh, clapping his hands together (in triumph?) a wide smile crossing his face.

"I'm going to like having you around," he declared.

Barry pressed his lips together, trying to will the corners to not move as he caught Caitlin's eye. She bowed her head for a moment, her hair swinging forward to hide her face. He was quick to catch the smile of amusement on the woman's face. Caitlin was a classy woman, holding back her true thoughts and feelings on certain subjects. He had first described her as being a bit frosty towards him, and with reason, but there were times where he was able to see her warm up a bit and be more open.

Dr. Wells even let out a short chuckle, a rarity in his case. "Be that as it may," he commented, "you can't deny that he was an asset to STAR Labs." Cisco snorted. "We wouldn't be where we are now if it wasn't for him." Dr. Wells blinked, and Barry caught his head twitching just slightly as if he had come to a realization.

"Oh yeah, a real _ass_-set," Cisco said with a smirk. Averey laughed and Caitlin quickly turned a laugh into a cough as she lifted her hands to brush her hair behind her ears.

"Who's Hartley?" Barry asked. He twisted his mouth to the side.

While he really felt like he was helping STAR Labs with their research, there were plenty of times, like this one where he felt left out. There were a lot of times in his life where he felt left out, but as an adult, it felt worse at times. He couldn't deny that with his fascination on his parents' case that at times he inadvertently put himself in that position. With Joe on his side, and now Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells backing him up with STAR Labs, he felt like he was finally being listened to and finally a part of a family again.

"Hartley Rathaway, the bane of my existence," Cisco said through clenched teeth, pressing a finger into his temple. "Gahhh, I don't like that guy."

"He used to work here at STAR Labs," Caitlin explained. "Before the accident. He wasn't the easiest to get along with, but no one could deny that he knew what he was doing." She planted a hand on her hip. "He was a main factor to the success—whichever way you want to look at it—of the particle accelerator. He wouldn't let anyone forget he was one of the select few who really got the chance to work on it."

"Yeah, as if the rest of our work wasn't important," Cisco added. "Right after the accident, he split."

"What's important," Dr. Wells said, "is that you two were the ones that stayed." He pulled his lips back into a smile. "And I am forever grateful. The point I was making is that, these effects may have only last for five minutes _this _time."

"So…you're saying everyone at the bank could go DEFCON 1 at any given time," Barry mused aloud. "And that was being whammied with the red light. But, with purple…is there a way to check to see what parts of Averey's brain was affected by being whammied? Maybe it can help us understand what you've been seeing."

"What, like, download my thoughts into the computer?" Averey asked. "And watch it up on the big screen?"

"Like a brain drain!" Cisco said, snapping his fingers together. "No, no! Dream theater." An expectant smile crossed his face. "Huh? Huh?"

"More like developing photos, what with your photographic memory," Barry replied.

"If red means anger and this metahuman used purple on Averey," Caitlin spoke up, "then there's more to this metahuman than we know. I mean, what's next? Blue? Green?" A line of worry appeared across her forehead.

"Caitlin does bring up a valid point," Dr. Wells commented. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on his thighs. "Red means anger, so what does purple mean?"

"I don't know; psychosis?" Cisco asked.

"What?" Barry asked, shooting the younger man a confused look. Cisco's eyes widened, looking back and forth at everyone that stared back at him.

"Come on!" Cisco cried. "You've never watched a single anime in your life?"

"Does _Howl's Moving Castle_ count?" Barry asked, scratching the back of his head. "I can't tell you how many times Iris made me watch that movie."

"Wow, you're missing out on a lot," Cisco said after he silently regarding everybody for a moment. "You said yourself after she ran into whoever this metahuman is that she started seeing you everywhere, Barry."

"Yeah, but I'm starting to wonder if it really was me she was seeing," Barry whispered to himself. She had said it herself, she saw someone in her room. Just like how he had seen a man in the lightning that night. It could just be coincidences, but there was no way he could ignore someone else with similar instances that occurred in their lives as it did in his. "So, is there a way to check this out?"

"Sure, we can just use the same equipment we used on you when you were in a coma," Caitlin said with a nod of her head. "We monitored your brain activity to make sure you were…well, still alive."

"Although with that lightning bolt zapping through your body, it did give us a few hiccups every now and then," Cisco said. Barry felt like apologizing, even though he didn't really know what he was apologizing for. At times, he felt like apologizing to everybody in his life for what he put them through.

He glanced sideways at Dr. Wells. The older man had a thoughtful look on his face, much like he always did. _He must feel the same way_, Barry thought. _If it wasn't for him, I never would've gotten my powers, Averey wouldn't have to act like a vampire against the sunlight, and STAR Labs would be as great as it was destined to be. _But they were still all working together to set things right. Even if it looked impossible.

Barry quietly laughed, gaining everyone's attention. "I was just wondering when all this started to be normal," he explained. "For so long I've heard that things like this was impossible."

"Right, just like it was impossible for me to see a yowie," Averey replied, hiking an eyebrow. Barry did the same, confused. "Hellooo? Bigfoot?"

"Bigfoot isn't real." Caitlin said with a sigh that indicated she's had the discussion more than once. Given just how often she and Cisco had been working together, Barry wouldn't be too surprised if she had. "It's been scientifically proven."

"Science has room for error," Cisco replied, his voice jumping up to a higher octave. Caitlin's eyes widened just slightly, her lips forming a tight line. "You said it, not me."

"Are you mocking me?" she asked, her eyebrows lifting as she straightened, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, of course not," Cisco instantly replied, his eyes widening as well. His lips parted, pulling down on one side in a cringe.

Averey put her hands in the air. "I'm telling you the truth," she insisted. "What else would you call a fur animal with arms that touch the ground?"

"A gorilla," Caitlin replied.

"Bigfoot," Averey replied, ignoring her. "It wasn't the bunyip, I know that for sure."

"Before I have to listen to another round of this," Dr. Wells said with a sigh, "I've got to study this data, maybe find something that could help. We only saw what happened in five minutes; imagine if the effects become more intense?" He wheeled his chair around, making his way out of the room. "By the way, regarding the impossible, Mr. Allen, seeing is believing."

Barry blinked. It was that easy. It wasn't a matter of whether or not people believed what he was saying; it was that it was _hard _for them to believe him without seeing it with their own two eyes. Whether or not that was the case, it was still his word that was the difference between his dad's innocence and incarceration. Seeing is believing all right; they saw the broken glass, the blood, the dead body, and the man inside with blood on his hands.

"I'll go get the machines ready," Caitlin announced. She reached for the gray flash drive plugged into the computers and unplugged it. All of the screens turned blank. "Averey, if you'd come with me?"

"Actually…d'you mind if I talked to her first?" Barry asked, taking a step forward. "I just wanted to ask a few questions."

"Sure, Barry," Averey replied.

"Well, I'll just leave you two alone," Cisco said, clapping his hands together. He then pointed a finger at Averey. "Could I borrow those?"

"My sunnies?" Averey asked, reaching up a hand to touch her sunglasses. Despite the confused look on her face she handed them over to him. "What for?"

"When you were telling us about being whammied, you said you think it all stopped when you put your sunglasses on," Carlos explained, examining the glasses. "And you wear them all the time for your, uh, condition anyway. I think I have an idea for these bad boys if you don't mind me tinkering with them."

"Guess not," Averey replied, looking uncertain.

"I can vouch for him," Barry replied. He angled his head to the side, nodding in the direction of the steel mannequin that housed his red suit. "He made my suit; originally intended for firefighters."

"I've got some good ideas already, just think of Cyclops from X-Men," Cisco said with an excited smile as he headed out of the room, speed walking. "Oh, and I'm going to need to make mold of your ears." Averey's hands went flying up to slap over her ears, a look of horror on her face.

"That's not the worst things Cisco _or _Caitlin will ask you for, trust me," Barry said with a small laugh.

"You wanted to ask me something?" Averey asked.

"Yeah, kind of," Barry agreed. He let out a sigh through his nose. "I believe you actually saw someone that night when you were a kid." He watched as Averey's eyebrows slowly lifted. "And I believe you because I don't think you saw me, I think you saw someone else. I think you saw the guy who murdered my mom 15 years ago."

"Nora Allen," Averey said, giving a nod of her head. She gave a sheepish grin, lifting her shoulders in a shrug in response to his double take. "When I did research on the accident, there were some news articles about you being in a coma and from there it went into…what happened."

"Oh." Barry bowed his head for a moment before looking at her again. "So then you also know that my dad was arrested for it. But, I know he didn't do it; he couldn't have."

"I'm sorry that happened to you." Averey crossed her arms over her chest. She tilted her head to the side. She opened and closed her mouth, silently regarding him. "When was the last time you saw your dad?"

"Uhh, not for a little while," Barry replied. "Why?"

"Just wondered," Averey muttered. "You were saying your dad wasn't responsible?"

"That night, I saw something. Something that I could never convince anyone actually happened." He took in a deep breath of air, his cheeks puffing up as he expelled it. "I saw a man in the lightning that night; a man in yellow. I think that's who you saw, not me."

"I don't know, Barry," Averey replied with a shake of her head, "he looked like—"

"Me, I know," Barry said. "I think he can do what I can do, but I know what I saw and I know you believe what you saw." He pressed his lips together. "…Did he have glowing red eyes?"

Averey's eyes widened. "Yes," she replied, "he did!" She started to pace, running her fingers through her hair. "That was the creepiest part. And…and it kind of sounded like the air around him was vibrating, but he was moving so fast I could only see a blur." Her pacing slowed and she turned to face him. "The man in yellow."

"The man in yellow," Barry repeated with a solemn nod of his head.

"Can I ask you another question?" Averey requested.

"Sure."

"How long has it been since you saw your mom? Er, her grave, I mean."

_How long _has _it been? _He lifted a hand to his chin as he thought. Barry jumped, a loud siren blaring, stopping him from answering. He hurried over to the computers and brought up a map of the city, locating a red pulsing dot.

"What is it, what is it?" Cisco asked, hurrying into the room, his hair flying behind him. He slid across the floor before joining Barry at the computer. "Looks like a metahuman sighting; it might be the bank robber we've been looking for. If you catch him, we could figure out just how this whole thing works."

"I could ID him for you, too," Averey offered. Her upper lip curled just slightly. "Can't forget a face like that. Wrinkles and acne scarring; it's no wonder he was trying to hide his face."

"I'm on it," Barry replied before zooming into his suit and out of STAR Labs in a rush of air. With Cisco's directions being played out in his ears, he quickly made his way to the location the metahuman was spotted in. He hurried into an old abandoned building, sliding on the dirt that lined the floor. "Ok, metahuman, where are you?"

He carefully and quietly stepped through the hallway, keeping his head on a swivel. He breathed as quietly as he could as he looked for movement in the dark halls. The rubber of his boots creaked as he stepped one foot in front of the other. _Come on, where are you_? "Argh!"

Barry suddenly found himself slammed up against the wall by a head force crashing into his back. He turned his head just slightly and caught a glimpse of a tan lapel before he felt hot breath on the side of his head. "For someone so fast," a gruff voice said in his ear, "you're really slow."

Throwing his elbow backwards, Barry felt it connect with a patch of skin. There was a clicking sound followed by a loud scream from his assailant. "Funny," Barry breathed, spinning around to sink a punch into the man's stomach, "I could say the same about you." He slammed his elbow into the chest of the man, running him backwards through one wall and into another. "You're going to return that money you stole."

"Really?" the man asked, blood dripping down his nose. He locked eyes with Barry. A dull red glow appeared in his eyes, starting out as small orbs before growing brighter and brighter. Everything turned red; the wall, the man's hair and his skin before it disappeared. "And you're going to make me?"

"No, he won't." Barry froze, feeling something hard and round ram into the back of his skull. His heart raced when he heard the click of a gun being cocked. "Let the man go or I swear I'll shoot. Not everybody thinks you're a hero, _Flash_." Gritting his teeth, Barry slowly released the metahuman before lifting his hands in the air. With a devilish grin, the metahuman hurried off, his footsteps disappearing down the hall. "Turn around. I'd like to see who it is behind the mask."

"You don't have to do this," Barry said as he spun on the spot, turning to face the Central City police officer pointing the gun in his face. "Detective West wouldn't want you to do this."

"Detective West doesn't matter," the police officer replied. "Say goodnight, Flash." Barry squeezed his eyes shut, but the pain never came. He heard something cut through the air before a gurgling sound reached his ears. Snapping his eyes open, Barry watched as the police officer hit the ground, grasping at the arrow that stuck out of his neck.

"What the…?" Barry gaped down at the man writhing on the ground. Anger and annoyance bubbled up in his chest. _Damn. I had him._

"You ok?" Barry turned his head in the direction of the gruff voice and locked eyes with the hooded archer at the end of the hall. He gave a nod of his head when Barry nodded, swallowing thickly. "Good."

"Wait!" Barry shouted at the archer as he turned on his heels and disappeared around the corner. Barry hurried after him, stopping short as he came face to face with an empty hall. He zoomed through the building, looking for the man before hurrying outside, spotting a waiting motorcycle. The hooded archer took even strong steps towards it.

The cool night air hit his face as he came to a stop on the soft ground. "Hey, Oliver," Barry called, in between gasps for breath. The man in the green hood turned around, a dark shadow falling over his face. His lips parted just slightly into a hint of a smile before he lifted his hands, removing his hood.

"Barry." Oliver Queen gave a nod in greeting.

* * *

Harrison removed his glasses from his nose as he faced Gideon, mouth set into a tight line. Sitting by the computer's face was a square picture showing Cisco, Averey, and Caitlin in the cortex as they corresponded with Barry.

"Gideon, start playing the video back?" Harrison said, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Of course, Dr. Wells," Gideon replied in its light tone. "Where shall I start?"

"Rewind the video and I'll let you know," Harrison replied, rocking forward slightly on his feet. He watched as Cisco, Caitlin, and Averey interacted with each other, moving backwards, faster as the video rewound. "Right here." The video slowed to normal speed, showing Averey talking to Barry.

He watched their conversation and then replayed it over a second and third time, all the while his lips slowly lifting into a smile. Things were moving faster than he had ever planned and he didn't even have to do anything. _Perfect. _"It's been a while," he said to himself, slowly pacing back and forth in front of Gideon. He let out a snort, his fingers curing into fists at his sides. "A long while; _15 years_ waiting, working, and planning."

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. "Seems I'm not the only one stuck in the past," he commented. His lips twitched at the joke. "Don't you worry, Mr. Allen, I haven't forgotten the events of that night, either." Harrison stopped at the wall of the room and slapped his hands on the bumpy walls. He pushed his weight against the wall, his palms stinging and itching. "I haven't forgotten how you just couldn't leave well enough alone. Gideon?"

"Yes?"

"Not that I am questioning your abilities to store what I ask of you," Harrison commented, talking to the wall, "but even the smartest computers can have a glitch or a power surge of sorts." He turned around and pressed his back against the wall. He was silent for a long moment, just staring at the wall, listening to the low hum as the computer stayed powered on. "Make sure a copy of this video is stored in my secondary logs."

"As you wish. Is there anything else you needed?"

"Search for Averey Moore," Harrison Wells commanded. Just like his last search, a headline of the newspaper immediately appeared in front of him with the words _Former Gang Member to Receive City's Recognition of Heroism _across the top. "Is there anything else?" A second headline appeared. "_Mercury Labs Hack Worst in Central City History_; _Royal Flush Gang Graduates from Bank Robbery_."

Harrison clicked his tongue shaking his head back and forth. His eyebrows lifted and he pulled his lips down into a mocking sympathetic smile. "That is quite upsetting," he declared, a sarcastic undertone to his words. He turned on his heels and headed towards the exit of the secret room, skimming his fingers along the wall. He pressed his palm flat against the wall and a concealed door slid open revealing a yellow suit that greatly resembled the Flash suit. "It's been a while but I think it's time to stretch my legs."

* * *

**A/N: **I went back and forth trying to decide if I could make the first scene shorter, but I really think I need it all there. Longest chapter so far, I believe and the introduction of Oliver (and soon to be Team Arrow).

Also, for those of you who haven't noticed, I have shown the characters Cadence and Brady Nash from the Flash story, also on this profile, _Flash Fire _and Sage Moreaux from Crystal Manning's flash story, _The Mark of Sage_ in this story. The reason for that is that we're all doing a crossover story together that will bring all three of our stories together. This won't happen for a while as we all need to get to a certain point in our respective stories. The title is (for now) _Flashpoint _and will be up on Crystal Manning's account at a later time.

_Kellie: _Belle Reve grows to be more and more important as the story goes on. Hope you stick around to find out how and thanks for reading.

_babyj: _Once again, thanks for the suggestion of showing a chapter from the point of view of one of Averey's roommates. I hope this chapter cleared up a bit more about what the purple whammy light does.

_Guests: _Glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for reading.


	10. I Have an Eye For Detail

**-Chapter 10-**

**"I Have an Eye for Detail"**

Removing his hands from his computer keyboard, he settled back in his cushy brown leather chair. His fingers toyed with the sides of his silky red tie as he folded his hands in his lap.

His door burst open and he shot the younger man an annoyed look, cradling the phone against his shoulder. "What is it, Laird?" he asked, letting out a sigh through his nose. "I have an important call to make. I would like not to be disturbed at this time."

"I'm…sorry, sir," Laird said, stumbling over his steps just slightly. He hesitated before turning back towards the door, an uncertain look on his face. The older man beckoned him forward, his jaw tensing. "Uh, sir, your popularity has greatly increased for your bid for governor with the signing of the 'no texting zones'. The results have just come in."

"Interesting," he replied, sitting up in his seat. "Thank you for bringing that to my attention." He waved his hand in the air. "You may go now, Laird."

"Er…" Laird hesitated, his arm twitching forward just slightly before he set the stack of papers under his arm onto the large dark wood desk. He gave a nod of his head before strolling out of the room, his shoes squeaking with each step. "I'll let everyone know you don't want to be disturbed."

"Thank you," he replied. He waited for the door latch to click, waited even longer after that, before lifting the phone from his shoulder, setting the receiver against his ear. With a big, vein covered finger, he jabbed each number out on the telephone, sending out a call.

"_Mercury Labs, Dr. McGee's office. Secretary Kim Stassen speaking._"

"Is Dr. McGee there?" he asked.

"_No, I'm sorry, she just stepped out. I'm not sure when she'll be returning. May I take a message_?"

"Oh, I'm sure she's going to want to talk to me," he replied before relaying his name. He then heard the urgency in her voice as she promised to find the head of the laboratory for him. He grasped a pen and a pad of paper, tapping the end of the pen against his cheek as he waited, listening to the silence through the phone. And then…

"_She'll be on the line in a moment. I'm patching you through to her office. Have a nice day_."

"Thank you, Mrs. Stassen," he replied in a low, smooth tone. Tap, tap, tap of the pen and then he heard one click of the line, two clicks, and Dr. McGee addressing him. "Are you available for a video chat, Dr. McGee?"

"Yes, of course," Dr. McGee responded in her light tone. He hung up the phone before twisting back towards his computer. Lowering each window until he hit the desktop, where a red, white, and blue circular image with his title written in the center of the white block in black words stared back at him, and he moved his cursor over to the camera icon. After a double click and a connection, he came face to face with the image of Dr. Tina McGee. "Doctor."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your call at this late hour?" she asked, her accent ringing clear through the speakers on his computer.

"Dr. McGee, let's just cut to the chase here, shall we?" he asked. "I'm looking for updates."

Dr. McGee sucked in a breath of air through her nose, her chest swelling before she allowed it out in a big gust. "Everything's moving forward," she replied. "Everything is right where we expected them to be at this time. Pursuing every opportunity we have to get ahead of STAR Labs is proving to be fruitful."

"And the girl?" he pressed. "Any progress with her?"

"Well, the girl—"

"No names," he said, interrupting her. "Not at this moment. No names, no incrimination if this were to go south." He was confident in this project, but he knew just how quickly plans could change. One platform could be put on the back burner to the importance of another. "I just need to know how things are progressing with her. With the project."

"There hasn't been anything to hinder the progress with this project," Dr. McGee replied, lifting her palms in the air, turning her head to the side just slightly. "I can assure you of that. Once you announce your new platform, it'll put you ahead in the race."

"If you're that confident, I guess I have no point in distrusting you," he commented, leaning forward to clasp his hands together on his desk. "After all, I'd have to no facility to back me up on this if it wasn't for your generosity. For that, I thank you, Dr. McGee."

"No, thank you, Mayor Bellows," Dr. McGee replied, "for choosing Mercury Labs." Her blue eyes, which almost looked gray as if they were clouded, sparkled. "With your funding, and the help of Belle Reve, we truly believe you'll be helping us bring Central City into the future."

_Who needs Silicon Valley? _Mayor Bellows laughed quietly to himself. "Yes, well, we're all very excited," he responded. He grabbed his computer mouse and moved it over towards the giant red video camera icon. "And that's _Ace_ to you. Dismissed."

Dr. McGee blinked, the gray in her eyes clearing to their normal blue. She gave him a confused look, but he didn't give her any time to answer questions before he ended the video call. A smirk slid across his face as he settled back in his chair. If the numbers were anything to go by, his new platform on particle accelerator and military advancements—or however his team was marketing it—was going to put him at the top.

* * *

Cisco quickly darted his tongue out to collect the spit that dribbled out of the corner of his mouth around the small flashlight he held in his teeth. He widened his eyes, looking down his nose, trying to stop them from crossing as he focused on the small screw driver and even smaller screw sitting on the curved headset in his hands.

"Come on, baby," he said quietly, carefully lining up the flat head of the screw driver.

"You know—"

Cisco let out a scream, dropping the items in his hand, the flashlight hitting his shoe before he turned to face Caitlin, a hand slapping over his chest.

"It'd be easier if you used that magnifying glass," she commented with a gentle smile, stepping up to his side. "That way we wouldn't have two people around here with eye problems."

"Ah, just one more thing to make me that much more inferior to my brother," Cisco replied sarcastically as he bent to grab the flashlight. "How many times have I told you not to scare me like that?" He lifted a hand and showed her the light brown scars on his finger. "Remember the last time?"

Caitlin cringed before giving him an apologetic look. "At least you didn't need stitches," she replied. "And besides, how could I sneak up on you with how often you comment on my loud shoes?" She lifted her foot before setting her heel on the floor with a soft _clap_. Cisco chuckled, shaking his head just slightly and Caitlin held up a bag of Big Belly Burger. "I brought you food. It's getting late."

"Thanks." Cisco gave her a bright smile as he took the bag from her before setting it down on his work station. "Have a seat. Oh." He noticed all the junk and pieces of metal on the few chairs in the room and quickly removed it.

"I can't stay long," Caitlin said. She gave her friend a smile of thanks before lowering herself into the now empty chair. "And neither should you. You look like you haven't gotten much sleep lately."

Cisco laughed. "How can I with everything that's going on?" he asked. He felt a bubble of excitement rise in his chest. How could he not be excited?

He never thought he'd be dealing with something like this when he was first recruited to work at STAR Labs. Even after the accident, he decided to stay due to his loyalty to Harrison Wells. Dr. Wells was the first person in his life to have ever truly given him a chance and see what he could do. Making something out of nothing had always fascinated Cisco. Taking things apart and putting them back together never seemed like a career choice; not in his house at least. In fact, he still owed his mom a new vacuum.

Not that she remembered as much. A broken vacuum was nothing in comparison to the newest composition that his brother, Dante, could come up with. They weren't that much different; piano compositions was another form of making something out of nothing. But, that was where their similarities ended. You could only get so much attention and notoriety in the science world from each invention you made. Not that fame was what Cisco had set out to achieve.

"First Barry, and then Bette, and now Averey?" he asked, going back to what he was doing. "This all seems like stuff out of comics, but we're actually living it. You know I love this kind of stuff."

"I do know," Caitlin agreed. "I don't always understand it, but I know."

Cisco chuckled before sharing a smile with her. He cleared a second chair and sat down, opening his food. "Thanks, I'm starved," he said as he removed a burger and a carton of fries. He crumpled up the bag and tossed it onto the counter. "Fry?"

"You know these are loaded with sodium," Caitlin commented as he held the French fries out to her. She took the box anyway before eating a few. "Mmmm."

"Why do you think they taste so good?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows. He lifted his burger to his mouth and took a bite. "You don't have to watch your wedding figure anymore." He paused in his chewing, realizing what he said before he speed-chewed the rest of his mouthful. "I'm sorry, Cait. I didn't mean it."

"I know you didn't," Caitlin replied. "It's ok."

"No, it's not," Cisco insisted. "Ronnie was my friend, too. I mean, we worked well together." He gave a half smile. "So did you two. Actually, it was kind of _too _sweet at times, but I'm not complaining." Caitlin laughed, rolling her eyes before it changed into a knowing look.

Her eyes narrowed just slightly. Cisco clicked his tongue. She was doing it again. He took another large bite of his burger. And then a second one. His cheeks bulged from the food as he chewed. Anything to delay whatever it was she was going to say to him next. Maybe it was female's intuition—not that he really understood woman all that much anyway—or maybe it was just how close they were, but she always seemed to know when he wasn't being himself, or if he seemed to be hiding something, or anything that was just "off."

"You're not doing all of this because of what happened, are you?" she asked. Cisco lifted his eyebrows into a questioning look. "Overworking yourself. Making sure things work perfectly." He just shrugged his shoulders as he shrugged. "I don't blame you, you know. For that night. There was a storm…lighting…anything could've gone wrong."

_It did. _Cisco swallowed thickly, nodding his head as a pang of guilt hit his stomach. He remembered what he told her that night; "Lightning knocked out the power to the particle accelerator automatic doors." He couldn't open them even if he tried. But, seeing that look of despair, of intense worry and anxiety on his friend's face made him want to rip the door open with his bare hands if it meant he wasn't the cause (or partial cause) of that look.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod of his head after he swallowed. He used his tongue to dislodge the food stuck between his cheek and teeth. "It just sucks…which I'm sure you already know."

"I just don't want you to overcompensate for Ronnie," Caitlin explained, handing the carton of French fries back to him. "He wouldn't want you to."

"I'm not," Cisco insisted. Caitlin pressed her lips together, giving him a pointed look. He widened his eyes. "I'm _not_." Caitlin lifted an eyebrow. "I'm just…working…a lot. Ok! I hate it when you do that. You give off creepy vibes when you do that."

"Ronnie did too," Caitlin said with a hint of a smile. "Can't get much past me."

_That's what you think. _Cisco nodded his head and the two of them fell into silence. "Well, I better get going. It's getting late. You should head out soon; get some sleep and Averey, too. She still has work in the morning."

"I'm almost done, Cait, don't worry," Cisco replied, waving his hand in the air. "Thanks for the food, though."

"Of course," Caitlin replied with a bright smile as she got to her feet. Cisco set the fast food aside before getting to his feet as well, stepping towards his friend to give her a hug. Caitlin happily reciprocated. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure thing," Cisco replied. He made a face as he stepped back from her. "I'll never understand why tall girls have to emphasize their height over me that much more by wearing heels."

Caitlin laughed before adjusting the strap to her purse on her shoulder before making her way out of Cisco's work office. Suddenly having lost his appetite, Cisco looked over at the abandoned food for a moment before getting back to work. He lifted the black, slick, curved eyepiece, flashlight, and screwdriver once more.

After a few quick adjustments here, tightening of screws there and a test run he finished the eyepiece and made his way from the lower levels of STAR Labs to the cortex. "You're still here, good. Sorry that took long," he said to Averey who was leaning back in a chair, the flat of her foot resting slightly on the edge of the computer she was sitting at. At the sudden voice, she jumped; tilting her chair back too far and she fell over with a _crash_. Cisco slid the visor into his hair before hurrying to her side. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No worries," Averey said as she grabbed her chair, sitting it upright. "It's my fault. I'm a bit clumsy at times." She rubbed her sore hip before grasping the notebook and pen that hit the floor beside her. "And this place if kind of creepy at night."

"What's that?" Cisco asked.

"Dr. Wells thought it'd be a good idea if, to keep track of things, I wrote down everything I remembered that happened during the day," Averey explained. "To see if any blank spots come up or if I see that Yellow Man again. Hopefully not."

"Well, maybe these could help," Cisco suggested, handing her the black device. Averey's eyebrows lifted in surprise as she took them. "These cut down the glare from just about everything, wrap around to your peripheral vision, and also have a night vision function." He turned them to the side to show the rounded parts. They had three small switches on the side in red, blue, and green. "The ear pieces as a whole, I kind of shaped them after headphones, also allow them to double as ear and microphone pieces, like on Barry's Flash suit."

He pointed to the red switch. "That's this one her. Turn it on and we can communicate back and forth, keep it off and it's like noise-reduction headphones. Just like in Barry's suit, you can hear everything going on here in STAR Labs and it can also tap into cell phone towers as well for hands free phone calls."

"This green switch gives you access to not only any projection we show here in STAR Labs while you're out on the field. But, it also gives you access to maps—physical, topography, road maps—of wherever place in the world you can think of."

"And this blue switch allows the optical sensors to adjust to whatever optical zoom you can physically look at yourself. For example, like on cameras with 2 times zoom and 4 times zoom. Everything you look at gets received and downloaded onto this chip right here. Flip this switch downwards to eject the SD card, and then we can download whatever you see on the field into the computers here. As a bonus, you they double as wireless headphones, connecting to your phone with Bluetooth, so you can hide them in plain sight. Cool, huh?"

Averey blinked rapidly, lifting a hand in the air as she took in what he was saying. "Wait… in the field," she repeated. "Like…_fighting_? Fighting people?"

"Other metahumans, yeah," Cisco replied, slowly nodding his head.

"Are you out of your mind?" Averey asked, her eyes widening. "I don't fight people. There was a _reason _why I was hiding in that room when Farooq was on the warpath." Her eyebrow checked. "Ok, yeah, I was kind of lost, but it's hard to see things in the dark."

"Not anymore it's not," Cisco pointed, flicking the device in her hands. Averey's mouth opened in an 'O' as she looked down at the eyewear before looking back up at him. "I call it the v_eye_sor."

"Clever," Averey said with a twitch of her lips. "But, I still can't fight people."

"It's only the metahumans that turn out to have…evil tendencies," Cisco said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Everyone's affected in different ways. It helps us understand how exactly the dark matter from the accelerator changes the biology those affected."

"So you want me to go…_Flash _these metahumans—" Cisco snorted, a hand flying up to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud, "I know how bad that sounded—to bring them here and do, what, exactly?"

"Well…" Cisco hesitated for a moment before explaining the pipeline and the make-shift prison of metahumans sitting under their feet. Averey stared at him, stunned. "Say something."

"If I didn't see you say the words that just came out of your mouth, mate, I don't think I'd believe you," she replied, dumbfounded. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Ok. I don't know how much help I could be, but, it's only fair do something in return for everything you all are doing for me." She then removed the sunglasses from her head and carefully slid the veyesor over her face and ears. "HOW DOES IT LOOK?" Cisco blinked at the sudden shout. "AM I SHOUTNG?"

"Just a little bit," Cisco replied with a laugh, lifting his hand, holding his index finger and thumb a bit away from each other. "Maybe it's too much of a noise reduction. I can fix that. Nothing else is wrong with them?" He held his hands out for the veyesor and Averey carefully slipped it from her head, handing it to him. "What?"

"What?" Averey repeated, blinking.

"You 'hmmed'," Cisco replied. "What's up? Did they fit too tight?"

"Oh, no!" Averey quickly reassured him. She tilted her head to the side just slightly. "It's nothing. I just noticed you have nice eyes." Cisco blinked in surprise, shifting his gaze from the veyesor to her.

"Yeah, they're brown," he replied.

"More like a chocolate brown with flecks of gold," Averey listed off, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "Actually, I'd probably say it's a bit more on the amber side." Cisco felt his bewildered look at the sudden information slowly morph into an amused smile. "It's just…nice."

"Thanks."

"Yeah." She loudly cleared her throat. "Sorry. I tend to blurt out anything I notice." She gave a sheepish grin, shrugging her shoulders. "I have an eye for detail."

Cisco laughed. "I bet you do," he replied. He moved to rest his hand on the computer and felt his palm slip off the end. He quickly caught himself. "So you really notice small details about things?"

"Yep, just like I notice your fly is down," Averey commented, hiking an eyebrow. Cisco's eyes widened and he quickly looked down. She burst out laughing, covering her mouth with her hand. "Gotcha. Sorry, it was just too easy."

"No problem."

"I'll see you," Averey said as she gathered her belongings, tucking her new notebook under her arm. "If I don't go now, I'll be too tired for work. I'll be back sometime tomorrow."

"Ok," Cisco replied with a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Iris gave the coffee shop patron a warm smile as she refilled their cup with the dark coffee from the pot in her hand.

"You're welcome," she said in response to their thanks, "and have a great day, today." She turned on her heels, checked to make sure no one else was signaling her for a refill—it was a surprise the first few times to see someone with a coffee mug dangling from their index finger—before making her way back to the front counter. She watched as a loud yawn burst forth from Averey's mouth, bringing some tears to her eyes.

"For someone who doesn't like coffee, I think it'd be just the pick me up you need," Iris said with a laugh. She set the coffee pot down onto the counter. "Could you rinse this out and start a new pot, please?"

"Sure," Averey replied, taking the pot from her. Turning towards the sink behind her, she poured out the contents of the pot, quickly washed it, and started a fresh brew. "There's a first time for everything, hey?"

"I don't know how to make it through the day without _one _cup," she said to her, resting her arms down on the counter. "Especially with all these assignments I have coming up."

"You know teachers value their weekends as much students do," Averey commented, turning back towards her. "I don't miss uni at all. Then again, I didn't get to do something like run a blog for a journalism class. It's mean as." Iris gave her a confused look. "Cool."

"Well, it's only cool when you get some content coming in," Iris replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She tried to stay aloof, to be nonchalant about it, but even she heard the sadness and maybe a little bitterness in her words.

"Something wrong?" Averey asked, turning back to face her.

"No, it's just…" Iris trailed off for a moment.

She knew the Flash was a very busy man, whoever he was, but it was nice to think that she knew him personally. In a way. She wouldn't have had some of her best journalistic scoops about him if he didn't stop by Jitter every once in a while. Last night though, he didn't show. And part of her was sad because of it.

It wasn't like she expected him to arrive at her every beck and call, but he did always arrive on time. Unlike a certain Barry Allen. He was her best friend and always would be, and she knew she couldn't change his habit for being late. She had gotten used to it, but it still did get annoying. The Flash though, he could be in Jitters less than a minute after setting up the initial post on her blog.

It was nice.

"A friend didn't meet up with me last night, that's all," she replied, putting a smile to her face. "It's no big deal."

"It wouldn't be if you weren't sighing like that every five minutes," Averey replied. When Iris gave her a confused look, Averey sighed, letting her shoulders droop seconds before letting out another yawn. "Unless this friend was Eddie."

"Oh no, everything's fine with Eddie," Iris replied, a genuine smile coming to her face. "I mean…" She trailed off for a moment. She didn't have any girl friends. She had some acquaintances in her class mates, but no one that close. If she wasn't focused on the Flash and her school work, she was worried about her dad at work every day, and whatever it was that was making Barry act weirder than usual. "We got into a little fight; he thinks the Flash is a menace, but I know he's not."

"Well, of course he's not a menace, he's B—" Averey quickly stopped herself, standing up straight. "He's b-_brave_ enough to put himself in these situations to _save_ people. Not put them in harm's way. I mean, you never hear about him _before _a crime is committed."

"Right?" Iris asked with a smile. "The Flash brings security to Central City."

_That's what the police is for, isn't it, Iris? _Iris nearly gasped as the thought flew into her head, careening into the front of her skull. That had to have been it. Eddie always saw things as black and white, right or wrong, guilty or innocent. And it was due in part to the police to help show the citizens of Central City that they could discern between the two.

It was their job.

Eddie's job.

She called him Detective Pretty Boy at first for a reason. He thought he was good looking, well accomplished, and the best person to be added to the Central City Police Department and he let everyone know it.

His arrogance _was _a turn off at first, but all those self-declarations did end up making him attractive to her on some level. Yes, of course, she thought he was good looking. He _was _well accomplished if his past awards for his work meant anything, and he was one of the best partners she's seen her dad have over the years.

When it came down to it, she couldn't really fault him for feeling like his job was being taken away. _At the same time_, her inner voice said, as bright and cheerful as ever, _the Flash is just helping them out. He's taking out the most dangerous element of the equation. He's keeping Eddie out of harm's way._

"Anyway," Iris said with a shake of her head, changing the subject. "Why are you so tired? If you don't mind my asking."

"Couldn't sleep," Averey replied. "You know how your brain just doesn't shut off at times?"

"Yeah, I call that 'exam time'," Iris replied with a laugh. "At least I only have to write papers this time around."

"So tacking on one more project would be too much for you?" Averey suddenly asked.

"I've always been praised about my time management," Iris said with a shrug of her shoulders. She crossed her arms over her chest. "What's going on?"

Averey stepped back from her side of the counter and angled her head to the side, silently beckoning Iris to follow her. Iris wiped her palms onto the apron tied around her waist and followed her towards the stairs. "It's about the Flash," Averey replied, "kind of. I know you've been keeping track of him—whoever _they_ are—and I was wondering if you could help me."

"What would I need to do?" Iris asked.

Averey hesitated before explaining about the second Flash in Central City. A second one. _Two _super heroes keeping them all safe. Just having one person going to great lengths to do so was hard to believe, but _two_? Iris stared; slack jawed as he listened to Averey detail the sightings around city and her request to keep track of this one, too.

"You've just already had so much success with you're _The Flash Lives_ blog," Averey said with a shrug of her shoulder. She waved her hand in the air. "But, if you've already got so much on your plate with that and school and work. This would just be another course load."

"No, no, it's…it's…wow," Iris said with a bright smile. "I mean, you helped us bring some more people to Jitters with your blog. It's the least I could do. And it sounds like fun." She lifted her hands, and tried to indicate with them, but ended up dropping them to her sides. "It's hard to explain, but it's like a break from reality from time to time. I'd be happy to help you."

"Cheers," Averey replied, a look of relief crossing Iris's face. "Thanks _so much_, Iris."

"Of course." Iris looked over at the doorway to Jitters as a small chime rang. "But, we better get back to work before we get in trouble." She reached for the small notepad and pen sitting in the pocket of her apron as she took quick strides towards the door. "Welcome to Jitters, what could I get for you—Oliver Queen!" She pointed at him. "You're Oliver Queen."

"Yes, I am," the tall, dirty blond haired, mustache and goatee Gap ad said with an amused smile.

"Felicity," Felicity Smoak said as she stepped out from behind Oliver, a hand in the air as if she her name was called for roll. "But, I'm sure you remember that. I mean, we only met once, but I've been told I have a familiar face. Hi, Iris."

"Oh my god, of course, Felicity, hi," Iris said, taking a step forward to give the blonde woman a hug in greeting. "What are you doing all the way out in Central City?"

"Just stopping through, catching up with some friends," Felicity replied, rubbing her hands together.

"Have you seen Barry?" Oliver asked

Iris stared at him. "I—you know Barry?" she asked, feeling a bubble of excitement rise in her chest. "Ok, I know Barry knows _you _Felicity but, _wow_." Oliver's eyebrows lifted just slightly. "Barry never mentioned you. Not that you're anyone we really bring up in casual conversation. We haven't been talking about you behind your back or anything." She sucked in a deep breath of air, trying to calm herself down. "Sorry, I have this talent of talking around the foot I stick in my mouth."

"Sounds familiar," Oliver said under his breath. Felicity twisted her mouth to the side. "I'd just like some coffee. Black."

"Perfect, I just put on a new pot," Iris said, scribbling quickly. She was aware of Averey's burning gaze on the side of her head. "And Felicity?"

"Oh, non-fat latte, extra sugar, if you please, thank you," Felicity said as she adjusted her ponytail before parting her red lips into a smile.

"I'll put a rush on it," Iris said as she ripped the top paper off of her notepad. "Averey, could you put a rush on this? It's for Oliver Queen."

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Averey asked, taking the paper from her co-worker. Iris's eyes widened as she looked over at the rich man. "No offense, mate. I mean, I bet you're a nice bloke and everything."

"That's ok," Oliver said, chuckling. "It's, uh, nice to meet someone who doesn't already know you from time to time." He gave a fleeting smile. "Take your time, please."He gently placed his hand on her shoulder as he stepped past her. "Thank you. Iris."

"You're welcome," Iris replied. Her cheeks hurt from how wide she smiled. Turning towards the counter, she silently mouthed "oh my god." She let out a small laugh. "That was Oliver Queen. _The _Oliver Queen."

"Mmhmm." Averey nodded her head.

"Come on, you can't think he's one of the most handsome men you've ever met," Iris said, peeking over her shoulder at the Staring celebrity. "Those eyes, I swear."

"I didn't notice," Averey replied as she retrieved two mugs emblazoned with the Central City Jitters logo. Iris lifted an eyebrow in doubt. Her lifted in the corners just slightly. "Ok. He _does_ have that tall, handsome, and mysterious thing about him."

"I thought you said you didn't notice," Iris pointed out with a smirk. Averey rolled her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: **A new chapter! I've been thinking about how to bring Iris in more and make her more important so I hope this storyline works well. And, for anyone who's wondering, Henry Allen will be seen more in this story as well. I haven't forgotten about him.

How do you think I wrote Iris, Oliver, and Felicity here? I changed the last scene a few times thinking they were a bit out of character.

Thanks for reading.

_Guest: _More Barry and Averey is coming. I'm excited to write their friendship over the course of the story.

_Kellie: _Thank you. I thought showing a flashback of Barry's interrogation would be the best way to start to show his connection with Averey.

_Babyj: _Regarding Captain Singh, you are right, he is higher up and does have more authority, but I was writing it more along the lines of Joe was the one actively on site with him.


	11. It's All Serious

**-Chapter Eleven-**

**"In Our Line of Business, It's All Serious"**

"The Mercury Labs facility is one of the largest in this area of the United States," Brent explained as he walked backwards down the carpeted hallway at Mercury Labs. "There are over 500 rooms in this building including lecture halls, laboratories, conference rooms, and offices. It is constantly inspected by regulatory agencies to ensure safety while working with the machinery, and extensive background checks are done on employees to guarantee a safe working environment."

"It's also an easy way to check if what they put on their resume is true," Gavin added, scratching the back of his head. "Fake education, fake computer skills..."

"And this was all in the past few months," Casey said with a laugh. "You'd be amazed at what people will do just to get a job here."

"I'll take your word for it," Averey asked as she followed her roommates through the halls. Mercury Labs was a lot more intimidating on the inside than it looked on the outside. The whole place felt tense, yet lively all at the same time. People were rushed both in their gait and in their tones.

"I don't think I've ever asked," Averey said, slapping herself on the forehead, "what do you guys do here?"

"Well, I'm a data analyst," Gavin replied, placing his hands to his chest. "I collect all the data that's found, look for any anomalies and outliers, keep the information about any patients we service, make sure everything's up to date, things like that."

"I'm a Lab Research and Development Technician Assistant," Casey replied. "Basically, what that means is I build and test prototype and experimental machines, maintenance, and stuff like that."

"And I'm a medical coordinator and assistant," Brent explained, his voice suddenly dropping to a monotone, "and on occasions, a tour guide."

"So what would I be doing here?" Averey asked.

"Mail runs," Brent replied and Casey elbowed him hard in the side.

Twice.

_Not like she's not doing it already_, he thought to himself, trying to hold back a smile.

"First we need to make sure we can get you an interview with the head of HR," Gavin explained. He put a hand to Averey's shoulder to get her attention. "I've put in a good word with Dr. McGee; however you still need to turn in an application. Once you've done that, you'll receive an e-mail or a phone call to let you know that they have received your application. It'll then be evaluated for your experience, education, and your skills and depending on the area you're applying for you'd have to take an assessment."

"In your case, you'd just be asked to turn in a writing sample," Brent explained, rubbing at the sore spot on his side.

"Easy-peasy," Casey said, clapping her hands together before punching the air with his fist much like a cheerleader. "Your writing style is great if your blog is anything to go by. It would just have to be…amped up a bit. More scientifically aligned with what we do here."

"Basically, it needs to sound smarter," Brent said, ignoring the looks Casey and Gavin shot in his direction, "bigger words and all that." He just needed to get back to work. The minute he was done with his Mercury Labs work, the minute he could get back to his _other _work; more important work at this moment in time.

He could easily blame his short temper on how tired he was from juggling both jobs. A third job would be added on top of that if things all worked out and Averey joined the Royal Flush Gang. She would be a lower rank than the rest of them and have to be taught everything.

"Someone will let you know whether or not you'll continue on through the process after looking over your writing sample," Casey said, removing her harsh gaze from Brent. "You should get your portfolio ready as well, they'd want to look at that. You'll be interviewed over the phone, through a conference call, or in person with a panel, which Dr. McGee will be a part of."

"I'm not sure if you'll have the chance to meet with her today," Gavin said, lifting his hand in a wave to the man who was leaning out of his office, trying to flag him down. "But, it'd be a big help if you could." He adjusted the collar of his shirt. "Sorry, but I need to talk with him; briefing for a late meeting. I can meet you back at my office when you're done."

"We'll see you then," Casey said with a nod of her head.

Gavin stepped into the office before leaning back into the hallway, fixing his gaze on Brent. "Make sure you get your findings in to me today," he said. "You've been backed up for a few days and it's pushing back my work as well."

Brent twisted his mouth to the side. "I can have it in to you by the end of the day," he promised. Gavin's eyes narrowed just slightly. He wasn't lost on the underlying topic of conversation they were having. With all his work at Mercury Labs, his part of the plan was falling behind. "Trust me." Gavin gave a brief nod of his head before disappearing into the office. If he looked back, he was sure Gavin would still be watching him. He leaned closer to Casey. "I don't need him watching so closely."

"His work relies on ours," Casey said just as quietly, "you know that. Both here and at home."

"Yeah, yeah," Brent replied with a sigh.

"So you guys have a lot of meetings then?" Averey asked. Casey gave him a warning look and Brent went back to his tour-demeanor.

"Well, we need to know just where exactly each component to our projects are at all times," he explained, "to make sure we're on track. If we need to slow down our progress, then everyone needs to be on the same page. Every scientific discovery that comes from Mercury Labs is a team effort; no one gets left behind."

"But there's one thing everyone here lives by," Casey added, "sometimes experiments fail for a reason and sometimes there's no reason at all.**"**

"Wow," Averey said, shaking her head back and forth. She spun in a slow circle, taking everything in. "It really makes you wonder how STAR Labs would be now if the accident never occurred."

Brent felt himself smile as STAR Labs was brought up. It truly was on the up and up before the accident. Well, now that the topic was brought up… "You were over there once, weren't you?" he asked, a curious look crossing his face. He caught Casey's eye and tried not to give anything away. "Is it as bad as they say?"

"I wouldn't say so," Averey replied with a shake of her head. "Dr. Wells really wants to turn things around." She paused for a moment. "From what I saw, anyway."

"It's going to be hard for him, that's for sure," Casey said with a sigh, shaking her head back and forth. "It's only been a year after all."

"His biggest accomplishment has left him without the use of his legs and he still chooses to go to his laboratory every day," Brent pointed out. "And he only has two employees to his name. He's going to have to do something big to compete with Mercury Labs."

Not that the gang was doing much better. With their Starling Division being caught by The Hood, there wasn't much else they could do in that city. He wasn't sure where they were now, or if they could even risk committing more crimes, but it made things harder on them. The Central City Division was the last in this area of the United States. That he knew of anyway.

Whatever King, Queen, and Jack were doing was often relayed to them on a "need to know basis" and if they were given that luxury, it was always Gavin who was cleared to know. Most times, Gavin didn't seem to want to tell them that, either. Brent understood why; the less they knew the better, but for someone who could preach about teamwork at Mercury Labs, it felt more like a dictator ship at times.

"Do you think you're going to apply to work here?" Casey asked, her question breaking into Brent's thoughts. "I'm sure we can find _something _for you to do here." She looked at Brent out of the corner of her eye and winked.

_Indeed_. Brent smirked. _More than you know._

* * *

Barry whistled to himself as he made his way through Central City Park. He tucked his hands into his coat pockets, shielding them against the cool, brisk air. It was getting closer and closer to Christmas time. Usually, it was a time to be jolly, but he always got a bit sad.

He wouldn't ever admit it to his dad, but it was a bit depressing to spend part of the day at Iron Heights. Gone were the days where he'd get up early and run into his mom and dad's room and jump on their bed until they woke up to start breakfast and to open gifts. His mom would make cinnamon rolls and a fruit salad while he and his dad played with some of the new toys he got that day.

To see his dad at all on Christmas, or to hear his voice over the phone, was the greatest gift he could ever receive. Just even hearing his dad still call him "Slugger" was enough to put a smile on his face. Plus, he still had Iris and Joe to spend the day with and he was grateful they gave him time to himself before joining in on their festivities. He couldn't ask for better friends, for a better family.

_If mom were still alive…_

Barry shook his head, letting out a harsh breath of air, watching as a cloud of white air twisted and swirled in front of him. He played the 'what if' game far too often. "What if mom never died?", "What if I never went to live with Joe and Iris?", "What if I never became the Flash?" Those questions played on a loop days at a time if he allowed himself to dwell on it long enough.

This was his life now and he had to do with it what he could. Keeping the city safe and allowing STAR Labs to get back on track with his help was the only thing he could do with his powers at this moment in time. But, he hadn't forgotten about his other goal. He'd get his dad out of jail one way or another.

He just had to.

Hearing an upbeat version of "Here Comes Santa Clause", Barry shifted his gaze upwards towards one of the small speakers mounted in the tree. Christmas music played throughout the park as it got closer and closer towards the holidays. A string of lights were wrapped around each tree, illuminating at night, in sync with the lights around the giant Christmas tree that sat in the very center of the park.

"Come on, Slugger," his dad had said with a bright smile, adjusting young Barry's hat over his ears before taking his hand, "let's go take a closer look at the Christmas tree."

His mom took his other hand and would sing it back and forth, humming happily; her eyes alight and reflecting the blues, reds, greens, and whites of the Christmas lights. "Then we can take a ride around to look at all of the decorated houses," she responded.

"Even the big one on the hill?" he had asked.

"Even the big one on the hill," Henry agreed with a chuckle.

"And we can get hot chocolate?" he had pressed.

"And we can get hot chocolate," Nora repeated.

Barry would smile happily and turn his slow walk into a run, pulling his startled parents with him as he made his way towards the center of the park.

Letting out a sigh, Barry relaxed the muscles in his jaw, his hands and anywhere else he felt them tense and tight. If it wasn't for that man, that lightning, he'd be spending another Christmas with his parents. A burning ball of anger formed in his chest, spreading heat from one side to the other.

"Hey, Barry."

Startled, Barry stopped in his tracks. Averey looked over at him from the viewfinder on the back of her camera and grinned at him. "I saw you all the way at the end of the park. You walk kind of…bandy-legged. Actually, you don't really walk it's more like a strut." She got to her feet, lowering her voice. "Being the Flash, I don't really blame you for strutting your stuff."

Barry let out an embarrassed laugh, turning his head to the side just slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I—well—achem." He lifted a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"How you walk?" Averey asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I mean, I don't think it's anything you need to get looked at but—"

"No, the Flash," Barry said, lowering his voice as well. He angled his head towards the park bench and Averey followed him over. "Iris told me you'd be here. She also said you're doing a project with her?"

"Uhh…yeah," Averey replied with a nod of her head. "Mhm. In the theme of the Flash, her professor wanted her to branch out and find what makes a hero, interviewing people, and I said I'd take pictures for her." She carefully set her camera down onto the bench beside her. "You wanted to talk about the Flash?"

"I just wanted to check how you're doing?" Barry said as more of a question than a statement. "You know with everything you've learned about STAR Labs…and me." He tilted his head to the side. "So, are you ok?"

"Yeah," Averey replied with a nod of her head. "I mean, it all came at one time, but there isn't really a way to ease someone into this kind of thing, right?"

"You should've seen me," Barry said.

A fond smile came to his face as he thought back about the day he woke up from his coma. Having a pee cup shoved into his face, realizing he was listening to Lady Gaga, and being in a place had dreamt of visiting before in his life was a real shock to him. It was way more than he could handle at the time. Words were flying out of Cisco and Caitlin as they tried to explain to him what happened and the changes his body was going through. And at the same time, he was star struck at meeting _the _Dr. Wells.

"When I woke up, I felt like I was fuzzy all over, and I was shaking," Barry explained. He let out a breath of air, still not really believing what he had gone through. "I felt _energized _and scared all at the same time. I mean…" He sighed, dropping his hands into his lap. "It was amazing, and confusing, and exciting, and scary. Now—" he let out an odd laugh, "now it feels normal. It feels like I've always had these powers."

"Yeah, but it has to be pretty creepy," Averey pressed. "Cisco and Caitlin gave me a crash course of what it is that you do and they want me to help. You actually keep all those metahumans in the particle accelerator like a _prison_?"

"It's better than keeping them out on the streets," Barry replied, shifting in his seat. He already spent enough time at Iron Heights with his dad. Only in this case, their families might not have known what happened to their loved ones trapped in STAR Labs. It made him uncomfortable to think about; on the one hand, they were doing the right thing. On the other, they were wardens at a makeshift jail. "And this way Dr. Wells can learn more about the dark matter and what that means for the rest of Central City."

"I've just never done anything like this before," Averey said with a shake of her head, a frown coming to her face. "I mean, I thought coming to America would be a big adventure, but superheroes and villains are only supposed to be in the movies."

"Trust me, Central City is nothing like the movies," Barry said with a snort.

"So I've been told," Averey muttered, playing with the strap to her camera. She was silent for a moment before looking back up at him. "I want to help you, Barry. I mean, I'm new to all of this, but it's the least I could do. I don't know how much help I'll be, though."

"You did land a few hits on Farooq," Barry reminded her, tapping the side of her shoe with his hand. "And with your vision—" He wiggled his fingers by the side of his head, close to his eyes, "you were able to help us at the police department identify him and learn he was involved with the accident in the first place. You've been a big help already."

"Sure, ok," Averey said with a nod of his head.

"I'm serious," Barry insisted.

"So'm I," Averey replied. "I found Farooq on accident that night. Truth is, I was trying to avoid him but find Dr. Wells."

"I—I'm sorry, I don't understand," Barry said, shaking his head just slightly.

"I was hiding," Averey replied. "He freaked me out at Jitters, and there was just some weird electricity in the air that wasn't there after he was gone. It was the same as that night when I saw the Man in Yellow." Barry felt the burning sensation spread up towards his neck just at the mention of him. "I've been freaking scared of the dark since then." She bobbed her head from side to side. "Well, I'm more scared of what could be in it."

Barry felt his eyebrows twitch towards each other just slightly. He couldn't remember a time where he wasn't scared of the dark. Even now he had to sleep with at least one light on in the room. His fear was something he thought he could've gotten over until the night of his mom's murder. Having to walk all those streets by himself, that late at night and he didn't even know how he got out there let alone how to get back. He never wanted to experience anything like that ever again.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Barry said, "and as embarrassing as it is, I still have to sleep with a nightlight, my closet doors can't be open while I sleep, the whole shebang." Averey laughed good naturedly. "My mom always used to say that I was only ever scared of the dark because I always felt like I was alone in it." _That night I was alone. There was no one with me, mom._

"Your mum sounds like a smart woman," Averey commented.

"She was," Barry agreed. "Somehow she always knew what to say to get me to calm down about things." He felt himself smile. "My dad on the other hand, sometimes he'd hide in the dark and jump out at me just to scare me." A laugh slipped past his lips. "I always hated it when he did that but he always found it so funny."

A moment of silence fell over the two of them. "So tell me about yourself," he prompted.

"Not much to tell," Averey said, evasively.

"Come on. I don't think I've ever met anyone who's had the guts to actually mouth off to a police detective," Barry commented. "_Two _police detectives for that matter. " He lifted his hands into the air, palms out. "I mean I did a couple times with Joe, but I quickly learned my lesson with that."

Averey chuckled, brushing her hair out of her face with her shoulder. "You sound like my mum," she said to him. "According to her I mouth off to everyone; adults and her especially." Barry prompted her with a slight nod of his head, silently urging her to continue. "Until recently, I haven't been on the best terms with her, let alone talked to her, since coming to the states."

"Why not?" Barry asked.

"Because I hated that she always tried to be my friend," Averey explained, "more than she tried to be my mum." She lifted her hands to make air quotes. "She always wanted to 'hang out', and go on 'girl dates', and just be buddy-buddy." She pulled the side of her mouth upwards, her eyebrows lifting just slightly. "Not that I could really blame her; she didn't really plan on getting pregnant with me when she did. It was just me and her before she got married to Daniel. He was like her, he was more the disciplinarian out of the two, but he always wanted to make sure I was happy with my life."

"That's not too bad," Barry said. "At least he was trying."

"You're right, it's not," Averey agreed with a slight lift of her shoulders. "I could tell he was trying to stay on my good side, but he was trying too hard. Everything was fine until I got farther into my school career. 'Averey is acting out in her classes', 'Averey talks back to her teachers', 'Averey has an inability to cooperate with her teachers'." Her lips parted just slightly in a smile. "Guess I haven't really outgrown that bad habit. Anyway, a little before I came out to the states, when I was telling her my plans, she started getting overprotective, way more than she had previously been. She didn't want me to go, but I left anyway."

"And your dad? Daniel?" Barry asked.

"Step-father," Averey automatically corrected him. He watched as her nose wrinkled, her eyebrows sliding together just slightly. "I mean, well, he's not _really_ my step-father, since my mum had never married anyone before him." She set her arm on top of the bench, curling her fingers into a fist to prop up the side of her head. "They got married when I was ten. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but Daniel's a nice and great guy."

"And your real dad?"

Averey stayed silent for a moment, her gaze shifting past him as she looked around the park. "I don't know where he is," she replied. "Actually he's part of the reason why I came to the states; to see if I could find him. I was on my way to Nashville when I stopped here. I heard about the Festival of Lights and wanted to feature it in my blog…and then it all happened." She lifted her camera in her hands, wiggling it from side to side. She then looked up at the blue sky stretched above them before blinking rapidly tears coming to her eyes. She reached into her coat pocket and removed her sunglasses, sliding them over her eyes. "It was overcast earlier. I was hoping for some snow, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen anytime soon. I've never seen it before."

"You've never seen snow?" Barry asked, feeling his jaw drop.

"On TV and in movies, but I've never actually seen it fall or anything like that," Averey explained with a shake of her head. "I've been in Central City almost a year, but before that I was in Texas, and Nevada, and California so…"

"I used to come to the Festival of Lights all the time," Barry said, feeling a smile come to his face. "Me, my mom, and my dad, we'd look at the decorations here, leave a gift under the tree, and then go look at the lights."

"Why would you need to leave a gift?" Averey asked.

Barry got to his feet, rubbing his hands together. Averey quickly packed up her camera, throwing the strop of her back over her shoulder before falling into step beside him as he led the way along the path towards the center of the park. "All the gifts under the Christmas tree," he said, pointing ahead of him, "goes to the kids in the city who are having rough times; terminal illness, parents in trouble, things like that. I got a gift one year; year after my mom's murder. It was right after my dad's sentencing."

"What'd you get?" Averey asked, peering up at him.

"Baseball set," Barry replied. He pursed his lips before swallowing. "I remember I liked it, but it sucked because my dad was the one who taught me how to play and he always called me Slugger." He let out a laugh. "I wasn't very good, but we used to play catch a lot. I leave a gift every year. I haven't had much time to think of a gift, though."

"I'm sorry," Averey said.

"Me too," Barry said. He adjusted his coat against the cool air, pressing his arms tightly against his sides. He sniffed once as he came up to the tree. Tilting his head back, Barry looked at each ornament and trail of tinsel that wrapped around the tree before his gaze shifted downwards to the pile of gifts surrounding the base of the tree. He slowly walked around the tree, taking in its decorations when his eyes fell onto a snow cone cart. "Isn't it too cold out for snow cones?"

The man behind the counter chuckled as Barry stepped over to him. "I don't know about that," he commented, "but it's never too cold for snow." Barry gave him a confused look and the man motioned towards the row of tubs sitting by his arm. "Fake snow. Just add water."

"Really?" Barry asked. He looked over his shoulder at Averey who was crouched down by the base of the tree, reading off of a nametag on one of the gifts.

"Care for a demonstration?" the man asked. Barry gave a nod of his head and watched as the man opened the lid to a tub and scooped out some of the white powder, dumping it into a bowl. He reached under the counter for a cup of water and poured it over top of the white powder. Barry felt his eyes widen as he watched the water turn a murky gray color before it changed into snow before his very eyes. "Cool, eh? Go on, feel it."

Barry hesitated but stuck his fingers into the bowl surprised to find that it actually felt like snow. A little cold, even a little wet, but it felt like snow. "Wow," he whispered. "It really feels like snow." The man lifted his eyebrows. "Can you make snowballs out of this?"

"Sure," the man replied. He grasped the top of a compartment and flipped it open. Barry leaned forward and peered down into a tub piled with snowballs. "You just have to freeze the fake snow for a while. So can I make you an offer?"

"How much for ten snowballs?" Barry asked reached for his wallet. The man smiled. Moments later, Barry was walking towards Averey, arms full with snowballs. Carefully holding them to his chest, he called Averey's name and when she turned towards him, lobbed a snowball at her, hitting her between the side of her head and her shoulder.

"Whaa!" She gaped at him, brushing the snow from her shoulders. "What was that?"

Barry laughed at her bewildered expression. He walked over to her and pressed the five snowballs into her empty arms. She looked down at the snowballs in her arms before shifting her gaze back up at him. Her confused, and annoyed, look slowly cleared into a challenging smile.

"So should I be lucky that you're terrible at baseball?" she asked as she shuffled away from him, gripping a snowball tightly in her hand. "Or should I be happy you're one snowball down?"

"We'll see," Barry replied. He jumped to the side, barely avoiding the snowball Averey threw at him before throwing one back at her. The snowball fight was short, but filled with laughter. He got a few hits in, but she was able to land more on him than he was expecting. If he could use his speed, he knew he'd out match her no problem.

Droplets of cold water slid down the side of his neck and back warming against his skin and soaking into his shirt. "You have good aim." He shook the excess snow off his hands before turning towards the man, lifting his hand in a wave of thanks.

"Thanks." Averey brushed the palms of her hands off on her jeans. Her face was flushed and she gasped for air. "You ran into a couple of them, though. I could tell which direction you were going to go in; you kind of tap your foot on the ground before moving in that direction."

"You could see something like that?" Barry asked, reaching for his pants pocket as he felt his phone start to vibrate against his thigh. "Something that small?"

"Yeah," Averey replied with a nod of her head. "Why?"

"Just wondering," he replied, glancing at the caller ID before answering the call. "What's up, Cisco? Yeah, I'm with her right now. Ok." He pressed his thumb into the red square on his phone, ending the call. "We need to get to STAR Labs right now."

"Is it serious?" Averey asked, a look of worry spearing on her face.

"In our line of business, it's all serious," Barry replied with a nod of his head, reaching for the strap to her camera. He handed it to her, gently positioning her behind the tree. "If I may…" He carefully wrapped his hand around the back of her neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Stabilizing your neck so you don't get whiplash," Barry replied.

He bent his knees and slid his other arm around Averey's legs, lifting her into his arms. Before she could say another word, he felt a surge of energy course through his body, making the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end. Then he was speeding through the streets of Central City. The wind tugged at his skin, face, and clothes as he hurried into Star Labs, skidding to a stop in the center of the cortex.

"You're faster than I remember, Barry," Felicity commented, brushing her loose hairs back from her face. "I mean, not _that _kind of fast. I mean, of course you're fast." She got to her feet, extending her hand to Averey who was swaying on the spot, windswept. "Hi, I'm Felicity."

"Non-fat latte with extra sugar," Averey said as Caitlin hurried to put a chair behind her. Caitlin gently pressed her hands down on Averey's shoulders and the Australian bent her knees, sitting down. "I remember you. I'm Averey and I think I'm going to throw up."

"It'll just take a few moments for your organs to settle back into place after moving so quickly," Caitlin said with a gentle smile. She brushed her hair back behind her ears. "Barry _has_ gotten faster, Felicity. Everything's fine." She twisted her mouth to the side as she looked over at Barry. "If we could work on his _tardiness_."

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it," Barry replied with an easy going smile. He looked around the room. "So where's Ol—uh…" He scratched the back of his head. "Arrre we allll here?"

"Indeed we are, Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells replied.

"You wouldn't believe what Felicity brought that she and the Arrow needs our help with," Cisco said with a wide grin. He took a bite of the Twizzler in his hand and ripped off the bottom portion. "Dude, it's _sick_."

"So what's the emergency?" Barry asked.

"The bank robber, Roy G. Bivolo, has been spotted in town," Cisco explained, his excited smile disappearing just slightly as he hurried over to the computers. Barry gave him a confused look.

"Oh, I can field this one," Felicity said before holding her hands together as if she was holding a baseball bat. "I was able to hack into the security cameras from the bank and look at the security tape. I matched up the face with your lovely database here, and installed some facial recognition software. Wherever he shows up, we can _ping_." She mimed swinging the bat before punching the air with her fists. "Score! His name matches that of which the Arrow relayed to myself."

"Anyway," Cisco said, chuckling, "A tip came in over the police scanner. He was last seen near the Central City Foundry. We dropped a line to the police to let them know." He then turned towards Felicity. "You _have _to tell me who the Arrow is. I have this list of guesses, I might be in the _ballpark_. Huh? Huh?" He raised and lowered his eyebrows and Felicity smiled in amusement.

Caitlin let out a huff of impatience. "The bank we understand," Caitlin explained, chewing on her bottom lip. "But, what would he need at the Foundry?"

"Maybe whatever Felicity's boomerang was made out of came from there," Cisco suggested.

"Boomerang?" Averey asked, looking back and forth between Cisco and Felicity. "What boomerang?"

"Wait until you see it," Cisco said, practically bouncing on the spot. "The metal feels like it's actually vibrating in your hands."

"Mr. Allen, I asked Cisco to call you here because I have found something of interest in your latest test results," Dr. Wells said in his authoritative tone. "Not just yours, but everyone else who was whammied by Bivolo. I've been monitoring the activity in the area of the brain affected by Bivolo and for a while it looked like the affects only lasted a short amount of time."

"But, it hasn't?" Barry asked.

"No," Dr. Wells replied with a shake of his head. "Caitlin and I have been monitoring your brain activity, Barry, to see if anything appeared in times of stressful situations."

Barry had to stop himself from laughing. Everything about STAR Labs was a stressful situation when he had to worry about his work with the police force as well. "What'd you find out?" he asked.

"Every time this individual section of your brain is used in this manner, it seems as if the affects of being whammied increases," Caitlin explained. "It builds and builds and builds until it's all depleted."

"I don't like the sound of that," Barry said. He crossed his hands over his chest. "What does this mean?"

"That everyone in Central City is a ticking time bomb," Felicity said. She rubbed her hands together before setting her elbows on the edge of the computer in front of her, lacing her fingers together. "If everyone in that bank has that one thing that makes them want to blow up," she snapped her fingers, "there's no telling what could happen."

"So, what does that mean for me? A mental breakdown?" Averey asked.

"It could," Caitlin replied. "For either of you. I mean, the mind is more fragile than people realize."

Barry pressed his lips together. He did feel himself get worked up at each thought of the Man in Yellow, and maybe even more so since being whammied, but it wasn't anything to worry about. But, there was one person he knew that could put his personal feelings aside when it mattered.

He needed to talk to Oliver Queen.

* * *

**A/N:** I haven't forget about Eddie and Joe. They'll be brought in again in the next chapter and have bigger roles from there.

_Guest: _Thanks for the kind words. We'll definitely be seeing more of Averey and Barry together. I especially liked writing this part with the two of them and can't wait to show everyone more.

_BabyJ: _At first, I wasn't going to have Dr. McGee be a part of it, but then I had found a way I think will be exciting to read about. Thank you for letting me know about keeping them all in character. I really enjoy writing Cisco and Caitlin's friendship and hope to see more of it in the show. Also, I'm excited for everyone to see where I'm going with Iris's storyline as well so I'm glad you're looking forward to it.


	12. Life's Not Fair

**-Chapter Twelve-**

**"Life's Not Fair"**

If Barry had a stick to bite on to alleviate the pain from Oliver's probing fingers deep in his back, he would take it and beat his older friend over the head with it. "'Meet me at the old Ferris Airport' he said," Barry said through clenched teeth, spit dribbling down his chin to be soaked up by the cotton of his shirt that sat bundled under his chin. "'I can help you' he said. I didn't know having an arrow sticking out of my back was helpful."

The old Ferris Airport had been run down for as long as Barry could remember. He and Iris used to tell each other ghost stories about the place, even planning on seeing just how scary the place could be. _Somehow _a pilot had disappeared after a pretty great track record of no prior incidents. "I triple dog dare you to spend the night at the old airport," Iris had dared him once when they were kids. He was going through it too, despite his fear of the dark, but Joe had caught him before he could take a single step out of the house.

"You know Oliver." John Diggle's brown shoes filled Barry's line of vision as he stepped up to the head of the table, taking a break from keeping watch over the area. He pressed his hands down onto Barry's shoulders, trying to keep him still. "Always has a plan for everything, whether he lets people in on it or not."

"Ow, ow!" Barry grit his teeth together as the burning sensation on his back grew. He didn't know which was worse; feeling that much pain or feeling his skin being pulled apart as Oliver probed the area for any injury. "_Dude_! _For real_?"

"Relax," Oliver all but commanded. He slapped at Barry's hand when he reached back to try and touch the sore air. "It's not that bad. It could be worse."

"You _shot me_ with _arrows_," Barry replied, turning his head to give Oliver the best glare he could manage. He thought his back was hurting; his chest was practically on fire with his anger and annoyance. His face contorted with pain and his nostrils flared as Oliver pressed a wad of cloth onto his back and pressed down with both hands.

"Which helped me prove my point in that you don't take the time to secure your surroundings," Oliver replied, with a sigh. Barry could imagine the hiked eyebrow, tight jaw, and look of annoyance on his face. "You heal fast; there won't be any lasting damage. From me, anyway. Not sure about Bivolo."

"And this is actually the guy?" Barry asked.

"Yyyyep," Oliver replied, popping his 'p'.

"Ok, good. Either I'm lucky or you've got good aim," Barry muttered. "Any higher and your ligaments and muscles would have some irreparable damage. It'd feel like—"

"Your bones were grinding together every time you try and move it," Oliver quietly finished for her. He was silent for a moment. "You are lucky. Lucky that I have good aim."

"Yeah, remind me to thank you the next time you shoot an arrow at me," Barry said as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He carefully rotated his shoulder. The stiffness was already disappearing and the pain wasn't as bad as it was before. _Thank god for super speed healing._

"Which, judging by how this tuned out, I assume will be fairly shortly," Oliver replied in a tight voice.

Barry rolled onto his back, pushing Oliver's arm away from him. "I'm good at what I do, ok?" he asked, pulling himself into a seated position. He wrapped an arm around his back and massaged the sore area with his fingertips, frowning when he felt the tear in his skin. "I've been able to get all those metahumans without you and your—your stupid tests!"

Oliver's lips twitched upwards just slightly as he let out a short chuckle. "Stupid tests," he repeated. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Stupid tests. I seem to remember, Barry, that _you_ came to me and asked me for help." He clicked his tongue. "So, what's the problem?"

"The _problem_," Barry said, swinging his legs off the side of the table. "Is you." Oliver merely looked down at the finger that Barry jabbed into his chest. "I need your help, yes; I asked you help me, yes; but I didn't ask you to act like you're better than I am just because you've been doing this longer. But you're not doing what I do. You trained yourself to be this way, you can stop whenever you wanted—"

"No, I can't," Oliver said quietly.

"But, I am stuck like this for the _rest of my life_," Barry snarled through clenched teeth. "So _excuse me _for thinking that you could actually help me with just _one _part of my life."

"Hey, hey, hey," Diggle said, jumping in between Oliver and Barry, gently pushing the two of them together. "He's just trying to help you, Barry." He set a stern look on Barry and the younger man let out a laugh.

"Helping me," he repeated. "Yeah, I know where and how he's helping me, but I'm _sick_ and _tired_ of him looking down on me."

Diggle's eyebrows lifted before he turned towards Oliver. "You do kind of act like he's a little kid," he said quietly to his boss.

"Well maybe he shouldn't act like one and throw a fit the minute things don't go his way," Oliver replied, his eyes sliding over towards Diggle. "It's only going to get tougher from here on out and guess what, Barry. Life isn't fair."

"You think I don't know that?" Barry asked, stepping closer towards Oliver. Diggle stepped forward, placing himself between the two men. He gently pushed Barry's chest, trying to put distance between them. Tightening his jaw, Barry breathed deeply through his nose. "You think I thought that it was _fair _that _I _had to be someone to lose a parent that night? You think it's fair that out of everyone I know _I _was the only one who had to live without a mother?"

He watched Oliver's face change from a stony silence to lip-shaking rage. "I lived without _anybody_ for _five years_, Barry," Oliver said in his loud and commanding voice. Diggle braced his feet, trying to keep his friend from jostling him to the side. "I was by myself. I watched my dad—" He trailed off, swallowing thickly. "It wasn't fair, but I've used what I've learned to help me. What have you learned, Barry?"

Barry pressed his lips together before blowing a large breath out of his mouth. He lifted his hands and placed them on top of his head, closing his eyes, tilting his head back towards the ceiling. Talk about being fair; it wasn't fair for him to compare his superhero life to Oliver's and the reasoning behind both of them. Oliver had gone through enough traumatic experiences in his life and he _was_ the only person that could help him out.

"Sorry," he apologized, holding out the word. He dropped his arms down by his side. "I'm sorry, Oliver, I shouldn't have said that." He turned back towards the table he just vacated from and grabbed his shirt, shaking it out in front of him. Frowning, he stuck his fingers between the two holes the arrows made as they cut through his shirt before sinking into his skin. "I do appreciate your help. Really. With Bivolo, with all of this."

"You're welcome," Oliver replied with a nod of his head.

"Where's all this anger coming from, Barry?" Diggle asked. "I mean, apart from being fast—which I'm still amazed by—you've always been the optimistic one."

"I just need to get this Bivolo guy," Barry replied with a sigh, pulling his shirt on over his head. "He can do some scary things. You may have to deal with one person at a time, Oliver, but this guy…he changes people."

"Mirakuru did the same thing," Diggle replied. He tilted his head to the side, squinting just slightly as he thought. "On a different kind of scale, but we're still talking about something out there affecting innocent people. We're all fighting the same war here, just different battles in different places."

Ok, so he and Oliver were not that different from each other. They both held the responsibility of keeping the whole city safe. Oliver talked about having to learn from things a lot and maybe he _did _have a point with his needed to really get a feel for whatever area he entered. He didn't see the arrows that shot him in the back…but he knew someone that probably could. There wouldn't be a Central City to save if he couldn't keep himself safe, first.

"So what else do I need to know?" he asked.

"In short," Oliver said, lifting an eyebrow, "everything."

_Grrreeeaattt. _Barry faced Oliver, tilting his chin up just slightly. "Where do we start?"

Oliver crossed the room towards the door and grabbed his bow. He curled his fingers around the grip, using his other hand to grip the string of the bow, pulling it back just slightly. "An agility test," he replied before looking over at Barry, "and then you're going to tell me more about this other metahuman you've come across lately."

"Averey?" Barry asked.

"Are you sure you can trust her?" Oliver asked, giving a slight nod of his head in response to Barry's question. "She did come out of the blue."

_Don't they all?_ "There's someone else out there like me," Barry said quietly. "Someone that wants answers, that was just as scared and confused as I was when I first woke out of my coma. There was someone else, Bette Sans Souci, she was a metahuman too."

"The one who was discharged from Afghanistan after the bomb explosion," Diggle said, snapping his fingers. "It made national news, many people donated funds to help with medical costs for her surgery."

"Exactly."

"Soooo, what could she do?" Diggle asked. Oliver blinked, a hint of curiosity on his face.

"She, Cisco gave her the name Plastique, could turn things, anything she touched, into bombs," Barry replied.

"Really?" Diggle asked, eyes widening just slightly. "Just by the touch of her hand? And it would change into an explosive like _that_?" He snapped his fingers together, making a loud click. Barry shrugged, nodding his head. "Whoa. That's kind of awesome."

"I know, right?" Barry said. He caught Oliver's eye and cleared his throat. "So, anyway, she had General Eiling and the military on her back all the time. They wanted to use her as a weapon, not try and figure out what it was that she was going through or how to help. We just want to help, Oliver."

"I understand that, Barry, I do," Oliver said, "but that's not what I'm worried about. You said that Eiling was after her for her powers. How do you know that's not the same with Averey?"

"Because she came looking for us, for Dr. Wells," Barry insisted. "She's different. This is different."

"Maybe," Oliver agreed. "Or maybe she was actively seeking you all out. Like you told me earlier, she _was_ doing research on Dr. Wells and STAR Labs after all."

"This is different," Barry repeated. "I know it."

* * *

Eddie Thawne wiped his hands on his palms as he waited outside of Captain Singh's office. This was his second shot at trying to get a team together to take on the Flash. He was transferred from Keystone to Central City for a reason. There was no sign of the Royal Flush Gang here, but there _was _a Flash. He still had a chance to make his mark on this city.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Eddie looked up at Joe and held back the urge to roll his eyes. His partner wasn't on his side this time, but that was ok. Kind of. They were still partners and had each other's backs on the field and that's what mattered. With the Flash around, it made doing their job harder, and who knew what could result in the long run.

"Central City never had a problem until the Flash arrived," Eddie said, rising to his feet. Joe snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "All these…crazy people and events? He had to have brought them here with him."

"Oh, I see," Joe said, rocking back on his heels just slightly. "No, you're right, we do need to keep Central City safe, that's our job." Eddie slowly nodded, wondering where Joe was going with his train of thought. "And to take the spotlight away from us, he's decided to come in, bringing his thug friends with him and has calculated all of this to make a name for himself."

"Come on, Joe!" Eddie said, annoyed. "Look, I get that you don't support me on this—"

"You know I support you, Eddie," Joe said, interrupting him. "I wasn't too fond of you at first, I'll admit—"

"Wait. What?" Eddie asked, blinking in surprise.

"But you are a hard worker and you have a passion for your job" Joe continued. "It's clear that you love what it is that you do here. I wasn't happy with whatever you and Iris have going on at first—I don't need to know all the details—but you are someone who makes my daughter happy."

"Joe, I don't know where you're going with this," Eddie said with an odd laugh.

"You're my partner," Joe replied, "and I may not agree with you on everything, but _don't_—" He pressed his index finger into Eddie's chest. "Don't tell me that I don't support you."

"You don't believe in Santa Claus remember?" Eddie asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, well, it may not seem like it, but I believe in you," Joe replied, reaching out a hand, clapping Eddie on the shoulder. "If this is important to you, then go ahead and do what you've got to do."

"Thanks, Joe," Eddie said, giving his partner a smile. He glanced over to the door of his captain's office opened. He was waved in by another member of the police force and Eddie stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"I assume this is about that special task force again, Detective Thawne?" Captain Singh asked, folding his hands down on his desk. "I hope you have more to give me this time, we're still trying to find this bank robber. A, uh, Roy Bivolo." He chuckled. "Great name, huh?"

"Well, first of all, thank you for taking the time to see me, captain," Eddie said with a grateful smile.

"Please, take a seat," Captain Singh said, motioning towards the couch sitting up against the wall. Eddie slid his hand down the front of his shirt, smoothing his tie before lowering himself onto the couch.

"I know a new task force hasn't been in the cards for a while," Eddie said, clasping his hands together, "and I know if it'll shuffle things around, but this is something we need."

"We need to keep this…_Streak_ off the streets," Singh said as more of a statement than a question.

"Yes," Eddie replied with a nod of his head. He got to his feet and started to pace. "I know that you are aware of Iris's blog and everything that's going on in Central City with this Streak or Flash or whatever it is that people are calling it."

"Indeed, I am aware," Singh replied, giving a nod of his head. "But, it didn't seem like you were on her side with her views on the blog."

"I'm not entirely," Eddie admitted. "But, it is a helpful tool. There's no one else here that has an accurate, up to date list of sightings of where this Flash has been." He stopped pacing to face his boss. "Or could be. We triangulate criminals often in our field, I don't understand why this would be different."

"So…you want us to hire your girlfriend?" Singh asked, a confused look on his face. "I mean, that's not too far out there, I'm pretty sure at one point she wanted to apply to the academy." He rubbed his chin with his hand. "I'd have to ask Joe."

"That's not what I'm getting at," Eddie said, putting a hand to his head, "with all due respect, sir."

"Then, please, explain to me what this is all about," Singh replied. "We aren't looking to promote anyone at this time, or hire on anyone new, but...I'm willing to hear you out." His jaw twitched. "Over my lunch."

"You're still hiding your food from him?" Eddie asked. Singh's eyebrows slowly lifted. "Not my business, I know."

"Your proposal, please," Singh insisted.

"With this new task force, we can not only capture and secure the Flash, but every other person like him," Eddie explained, setting his palms down onto Singh's desk. "Have you noticed that one of these…_people _show up, cause havoc, and then disappear? Take Bivolo for example; he seemed to have disappeared after his bank robbery, but then he was spotted at the Central City Foundry. Who's to say that these others aren't still hiding in Central City, just waiting for the chance to attack again? With even worse damage."

"Go on," Singh urged, his eyes knitting together just slightly.

"With this task force, we can uphold our goal to keep Central City safe and to be sure that justice is served to each criminal that decides to cross that line," Eddie continued his explanation. "Now, I understand this means many meetings with the higher ups in the city regarding these powers they have and how to correctly serve them in the court of law. If we don't make changes now, we'll be caught unprepared if things were to go from bad to worse."

"I assume you'd like to be head of this task force?" Singh asked.

"The thought did cross my mind," Eddie admitted after a moment of silence. Singh chuckled, settling back in his chair. "Basic requirements for the police force could be used for this new group as well. The psychological evaluations, background checks, fight training, training at the shooting range, all of that could be the same requirements needed for this."

"The only question here is, how do we adapt to these people with these powers that we catch?" Singh asked. "They're able to escape police captivity once, they could do it again."

"That's the only problem, sir," Eddie said with a sigh, feeling his shoulders drop. "I haven't thought that far ahead. All of this seems like it comes from a fantasy world, I mean, who could ever predict we'd need titanium infused, steel enforced, jail cell? We're going to need _something _though because the Flash isn't the only thing out there. There are more of them…more of _him_."

"There's—there's another Flash?" Singh asked, looking alarmed. "Is that what you're saying? You have proof of this? Concrete proof? How do you know?"

Eddie hesitated, closing his mouth and swallowing. He didn't _exactly _snoop, a quick glance at Iris's computer screen as she powered down her belongings to head to school wasn't the easiest thing to do. He couldn't be 100% sure of what he saw, but there wasn't really any way to double check what he thought he saw either. He and Iris were already at odds with the whole subject.

"I'm just saying," Eddie spoke up after a moment of silence, "that there could be more to this than we imagine. Bullet proof vests aren't always going to keep us protected. We have to find other ways."

Singh's cheek bulged as he poked his tongue to the side. "I'll tell you what, I'll bring this to the attention of not only _my _boss but to the chief of police. There is a major meeting coming up with Mayor Bellows. I'll do my best to have this topic put on the agenda." He got to his feet, offering his hand to Eddie. "That's the best I can do right now."

"Thank you so much," Eddie said, relaxing into a smile, shaking the man's hand. "And thank you for taking the time to hear me out."

"Of course, detective," Singh replied. "You did great work in Keystone and you've been doing excellent work here in Central City. Keep up the good work. Please close the door behind you and get back to work."

"I will," Eddie replied with a nod of his head. He stepped out of the office and pulled the door shut behind him. He let out the breath of air he didn't realize he was holding and grinned, clapping his hands together. It wasn't a definite green light for his proposal, but it was better than he could've imagined. "Awesome."

He couldn't help but walk back to his desk with his head held just a little higher than before. "Good news I take it?" Joe asked as he dropped into his seat. He used his feet to spin himself in a circle before facing his partner. "What's with the celebration?"

"It's not a definite, but Singh says he'll try and get the topic brought up at the Mayor's next big meeting," Eddie replied. Joe's eyebrows shot up. "I was a little surprised too, but I guess I worked my magic on the topic."

"You've always been a smooth talker," Joe muttered. "Congratulations, I guess."

"Thank you," Eddie replied. "But, uh, listen, Joe. I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to hang you out to dry or anything." Joe gave him a confused look. "If this goes through…well, I haven't been your partner for long."

"Don't worry about it," Joe replied, waving a hand in the air. "It's ok. You've worked hard for this."

"Worked hard for what?" Barry asked, walking up to the two of them, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Hey, Eddie, I just saw Iris in the lobby. I didn't know if you were waiting to meet up with her or—"

"Oh, yeah, I am," Eddie replied, turning towards his computer. "But, I need to check some e-mails real quick, thanks."

"Sure," Barry replied. "So, uh, what's the occasion?"

"Singh might be giving a reign check on Eddie's proposal," Joe replied. "About that special task force." Despite his eyes on his computer, Eddie could feel Joe staring directly at him. Supportive his foot.

"I...uh, oh!" Barry's eyes widened. "Well, that's…that's good. Yay, Eddie." He lifted his fist in the air with little enthusiasm. "Cool. I, um, thought he didn't think it was a good idea."

"You know Eddie's got the gift of gab," Joe said, turning towards the younger assistant. His enthusiasm made Eddie's attention on his computer wane just slightly. "He brought up some good points and made Singh change his mind."

"Congrats, Eddie, that's awesome," Barry said to Eddie, giving him a close-lipped smile.

"Thanks, Barry," Eddie replied. He wasn't sure if he heard a hint of sarcasm in Barry's voice or not. His smile wasn't the bright

"You're welcome," Barry replied. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll go tell Iris you'll be out in a minute and then I'll be up in the lab, looking over some samples from the bank."

"There are some items I brought up from the foundry, too," Joe said to Barry. "If you could look over those?" Barry lifted his hand in a wave, showing that he heard what Joe said. As soon as he was gone, Joe put his attention back on Eddie. "Are you _sure _this is what you want to do?"

"You can't change my mind about this, Joe," Eddie replied with a sigh through his nose. "And I thought I had your support."

"You do," Joe said. "I just want to make sure. Because the last time you were in charge of something like this…"

Eddie grit his teeth. He could be briefed on the rumors and rumblings of the Royal Flush Gang back in Keystone all he wanted, but the truth was, no one really knew just how it was being operated. Or how big the gang really was. He jumped the gun and made a mistake, but in his defense, a pair of shoes _were _stolen and it was decided that the punishment would be carried out.

He had to be careful; more meticulous with his work.

He could prove to everyone that he deserved all the recognition he got and furthermore, he deserved to be given a second chance with a big assignment such as this. It was only fair.

"I don't need you reminded me at every turn, Joe," Eddie replied. "I don't need _anyone_ reminding me."

"Just looking out for you, partner," Joe replied, a hint of an apology in his tone.

"Yeah," Eddie replied quietly. _I'm looking out for me, too. Not just me, but all of Central City._ "Thank you." He quickly went through his e-mails checking to see what was important; what needed to be answered now, what could be pushed until a little later, and any conversations he had to initiate himself. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lunch date."

"Didn't need to know that," Joe instantly replied, "but have fun." His head shot up and he gave Eddie a warning look. "But not too much fun."

"Whatever you say, _dad_."


	13. You're the Arrow Aren't You?

**-Chapter Thirteen-**

**"You're the Arrow Aren't You?"**

"_Do you think the tour went well?_"

Gavin, Casey, and Brent sat around the kitchen table, facing the phone base sitting in the center. Brent "mmhmmed" as he leaned back in his chair, holding a small glass vial in between his fingers. Casey passed a pen back and forth between her hands, the cap making a scratching sound as she did so. Gavin leaned heavily over the table, placing his mouth as close to the phone as he could.

"Yes, Dr Caselli. She has no idea about what we do on the side," Casey explained, slapping her hand down on top of the pen. She stuck the pen behind her ear. "Working at Mercury Labs would just be an easy way for us to keep an eye on her for most of the day. Gauge her reactions, evaluate her."

"And to administer the memorarium," Gavin added. "When needed."

The man on the other end of the line chuckled. "_That's what you're calling it, huh? I suppose you've been successful in, uh, gathering all the materials_?"

"Got it right here," Brent said out loud, as if he could see the man, shaking the vial between his fingers. "We've received all the packages. We just need to assemble the other devices for the next part of the plan."

"_What's the time frame you're looking at for that?_"

"I'll admit things haven't been progressing quickly," Gavin quickly explained, twisting his fingers together, "but as long as Averey's living in this house, we have some form of access to her. And the information will be sent to you as soon as we can possibly manage."

"_I understand you all jobs to help fund this and to keep up façade, but we're really backing up over here. Belle Reve can only run when we have vessels to experiment on. Mayor Bellows' major campaign point can only succeed if we do our part._"

"We understand that, sir," Brent spoke up, reaching into the box that sat by his arm. He pushed around the contents of the box, ignoring the pointed looks Casey and Gavin were sending in his direction at the noise. He widened his eyes, lifting his eyebrows just slightly as he retrieved a syringe from the box. "In fact, we're ready to test some out."

"_You don't trust the quality of our product?" _A hard edge suddenly came to the man's voice. Almost accusatory.

"It's not that, Dr. Caselli," Casey quickly jumped in. "We just wanted to be sure everything was set in place before we moved forward." She gave Gavin a wide-eyed look. "We're keeping up our end. Promise."

"_We can't do more on our end until you start testing things out. Our window of opportunity is closing what with this Flash character about, ridding the city of Metahumans. I'll have you know that with a city threat like this, there was bound to be someone who wanted to keep everyone safe_"

"We won't let you down, sir," Gavin replied, his voice cracking just slightly. He cleared his throat. "We understand how important this is."

"_I also heard King, Queen, and Jack might be heading out for a hit tonight. The foundry across town. I was told to let you know to stay on guard just in case_. _You might be called in to help._"

"All right, no problem," Casey said. Brent made a grunting sound in response.

"_I'll leave you to your work, then. I look forward to your findings and taking the next step forward_." The line clicked as Dr. Caselli hung up.

"I hate it when he does that," Gavin mumbled.

"Well." Brent's eyebrows lifted in a look of amusement as he sat up straight in his seat. His chair legs hit the floor with a loud _clack._ "Now we just need someone to test this out." He stuck the needle into the top of the glass vial and carefully drew up the clear liquid. He held the syringe up to eye level. He flicked the end of the needle, watching as drops of the clear liquid flew onto the table. He looked up when he got silence in return to find Gavin and Casey staring back at him, arms crossed over their chests. "No."

"Come on, Brent," Casey said with a sigh. She sounded like she had been trying to convince him for ten minutes.

"'Come on' nothing," Brent replied, his voice cracking. "Why am I always the one being tested on?"

"In this case, you're not," Gavin replied with a smirk, "Averey is." He then widened his eyes in innocence, placing the palms of his hands on his chest. "Besides, I _am _the one who has to relay everything to King, Queen, and Jack. I am a data analyst after all."

"Analyze this," Brent said, giving him the finger.

"Oooh," Casey said, waving her hands in the air, her fingers wiggling. "Look who's sticking up for himself."

"If we're going off of what our jobs are," Brent cut his eyes at Gavin, "as pathetic as that is, then why do I have to do it? How am I going to make sure this little 'project' is working if I'm not going to remember anything I'm doing?"

"That's what I'm here for, honey," Casey said with a smile. "Besides, if and when we get moved up, I outrank you. Better get used to it." Brent snorted, muttering under his breath.

"Fine," he said, putting his hands up in defeat. "Fine."

He pulled up his shirt sleeve before laying his arm down onto the table. He wrapped his hand around the syringe and lined it up with his arm. He hesitated, letting out a shaky breath of air before sliding the needle into his arm, pushing the plunger down with his thumb. The clear liquid drained from the barrel until it was empty. Brent settled back in the chair, letting out a breath of air. The syringe loudly clattered on the table as he dropped it.

"How're you feeling, B?" Casey asked, leaning forward. Gavin stepped closer, hovering over Brent's chair. His eyes narrowed just slightly as he waited for Brent's response.

"Feel fine," Brent replied, looking up at his friend. Gavin smiled as he watched Brent's brown eyes slowly cloud over, resembling murky, muddy water.

"Good," he replied. He straightened, crossing his arms over his chest, a triumphant smile on his face. He curled his hand into a fist and bit down on his thumb. "Case, we're going to have to keep track of how long this will last and what he does. He's not going to remember it when he snaps out of it."

"He didn't use a lot of memorarium," Casey explained, "I don't think it'll last more than ten minutes. Fifteen at most."

"I just asked you to keep an eye on him, nothing else," Gavin said, his eyes slowly falling shut for a brief moment.

Casey let out a growl of frustration. "I can handle more than being the mother hen to you two," she snapped, her green eyes flashing red with annoyance. Gavin did a double take, blinking rapidly as he scrutinized her. "I got all the parts we needed for not only to make and house the memorarium solution, but for our other 'side projects' as well." She started jabbing him in the chest with her index finger. "I've risked my butt on arranging to have those parts shipped from Belle Reve and having them picked up and delivered here. All you've done is make sure we do our jobs right. Brent and I both do way more than you combined, _Tenny_."

Gavin's facial expression soured at the sound of the nickname. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrows angling towards each other. "Are you feeling ok?" he asked and Casey gave him an offended look.

"I'm not PMSing if that's what you're really asking me," she snapped.

"I'm not, I'm asking if you're feeling ok," Gavin repeated. He waved a hand in the air. "I mean, I've heard of people spitting fire, but..." He trailed off, watching as Casey's eyes seemed to radiate her anger, "you look like you're actually going to shoot some out of your eyes."

"I'm _fine_," she snapped, Gavin opened his mouth and she quickly shut him up with, "_and I'm not just saying that._"

"I believe you," Gavin replied, putting his hands up defensively. "Whatever you say." Casey rolled her eyes. "Hey." Her nose twitched as she settled hr gaze on him. "I know I couldn't do this without you; either of you. You and Brent have always had my back and I know I need it more now than ever. Ok?"

"You're an ass, you know that?" Casey asked, her gaze softening just slightly. She shook her head, her blonde bob flying from side to side before settling into place. "Whatever. So, what are we going to do with him?" She pointed over at Brent who had, unnoticed by Gavin, had opened the refrigerator and was shoving a piece of pie into his mouth.

"First, I'm going to try not to kill him," Gavin replied with a sigh, "That was my piece of pie."

"It's a good thing you didn't have any left over cake," Casey commented. Gavin gave her a confused look. "I don't know about you, but I don't know a lot of people that has their cake and can eat it, too."

Gavin closed his eyes, his lips lifting into a smile as he laughed through his nose. "Shut up." He paused for a moment, before giving her a curious look. "You think we can convince Brent to go to the landlord and tell him that he was the one who punched a hole in the wall behind the bathroom mirror?"

* * *

Caitlin grabbed onto the hand grips on the back of Dr. Well's wheelchair and quickly pushed him away from the metal boomerang that flew through the air. "Cisco!" she cried, heels loudly hitting the floor as she ducked and weaved, trying to move the doctor out of harm's way. "I told you to stop messing with that thing."

"Not to mention-" Dr. Wells grunted as Caitlin suddenly stopped pushing his chair and he shuddered forward. Caitlin grasped his shoulders, carefully pulling him back against the back rest. "All the invaluable-and expensive-equipment-we have-here."

"Sorry, sorry!" Cisco shouted, running after the boomerang as fast as he could. He jumped in the air, trying to grab the metal. "I barely even threw it this time. It slipped, honest."

"Be careful," Felicity called from where she was hiding behind one of the desks. "It's really dangerous."

"What was your first clue?" Averey asked, swiping at the air with a book, deflecting herself from the boomerang. She blew a lock of her hair from her face before throwing the book up into the air, letting out a loud curse when she missed and the book came crashing back down towards her. "What's wrong with this thing? It doesn't actually come back."

"I think it might have something to do with the metal it's made of," Felicity explained, peering over the top of the desk. "Made for optimum damage."

"Oh, it's getting its money's worth all right," Cisco said, ducking down behind the doorway into an elevated room attached to the Cortex. "I am _so _sorry, Dr. Wells."

"Well, even the fastest spinning top has to slow down eventually," Dr. Wells commented. He reached his hand back and gently set it down on top of Caitlin's. He patted her hand before dropping his hand into his lap. "I've already lost millions of dollars in research and equipment already, what's a few thousand more?"

"Dr. Wells!" Caitlin admonished.

"Relax, Dr. Snow, it was just a little joke," Dr. Wells said, looking up at her with a half smile. "Kind of."

"Well not a very funny one," Caitlin said with a click of her tongue. She jumped when the boomerang let out a loud clang as it hit a light, knocking the metal casing on an angle. A sharp breath was exhaled through her nose as she turned to glare at Cisco as the light crashed to the floor. He gave a wide, sheepish grin in response.

Averey dropped to the floor and army crawled over to the broken light. "What are you doing?" Felicity asked over the loud _woosh_ of the boomerang and the _hiss _of the steam coming out of the broken pipe in one of the many holes in the walls.

"Well," Averey said as she grabbed a chunk of the broken plastic, "I may not be as science savvy, or the mathlete type like you guys." She snorted. "Or, hell, even really smart for that matter, but this boomerang should have the same trajectory path as all boomerangs. This one seems to be flying willy-nilly, maybe because of the metal it's made out of—"

"Reinforced with a Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer," Cisco and Felicity said in unison.

"Yeah, sure," Averey replied. She crawled over to the wall and held the plastic up towards the steam. "If my calculations are correct, it'll still try and end its course where it started." She used her arm to wipe at her damp forehead. After a few moments of silence, she removed the plastic from the steam and carefully bent it over her knee, gritting her teeth at the heat she could feel through her jeans. "So, timing this right, I can stop the boomerang right…_now_!"

Averey threw the bent plastic as hard as she could towards the wall. The gray shape arched through the air before flying off to the side after colliding with the boomerang. The boomerang embedded itself into the wall, steam pouring out of the wall. "Just like that," she said with a grin. "Trying to grab it out of the air, you were just asking for a hand laceration, Cisco."

"Impressive," Dr. Wells commented, maneuvering his wheel chair over to the boomerang. He grasped it with his hands and pulled it out from the wall. "Another example of just how unpredictable things can be around here."

"Speaking of unpredictable," a male voice said, "something's going on with Barry." Everyone in the Cortex got to their feet, brushing the dirt off their clothes and adjusting them as they faced Joe West. "He just pulled a Jekyll and Hyde on me that I've never seen before. I didn't know he could ever be that mad."

"Detective West," Averey said, gaining his attention. She watched him freeze, eyes widening. "Barry told me you know all about him."

"Uhhh," Detective West stalled, his eyebrows knitting together.

"I believe you know each other so we can put formalities out of the way," Dr. Wells commented. "I can explain later, but Averey is like Barry; a metahuman. She's also helping us out." He folded his hands in his lap. "Now, what's going on with Barry?"

"Let's just say, I think he's _finally _letting out his frustrations of how long it's been taking to find his mother's killer out," Detective West replied, his gaze lingering on Averey for a moment longer before he set his attention on Dr. Wells. "On me, on his boss. He just chewed out the UPS guy for a squeaky cart wheel."

"Detective West, he was whammied," Caitlin explained, "just like everyone at the bank."

"The ones who went all Fight Club on each other," Cisco added.

"I remember who you're referring to Cisco," Detective West said with a chuckle, "but thank you. That would explain the freaky eye glow thing."

"So, where is Barry now?" Felicity asked.

"I have no idea," Detective West admitted with a shrug, "he stormed out after practically reducing the mail guy to tears." He let out a sigh as he folded his coat over his forearm, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have more respect for mail carriers after talking to the guy, I'll tell you that much."

"Set out some lemonade and cookies and you'll have perfectly delivered mail in no time," Cisco said, waving his hand in the air. "No one can resist my mom's cookies."

"Ooh, I've tried her molasses cookies," Caitlin said, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "They're like heaven." She hurried over to a discarded chair and pushed it over to the computers, lowering herself into it. "See if you could ask her to make some for Christmas?"

"They've already got your stocking written all over it," Cisco replied.

"While I, too, enjoy your mother's baking, Cisco," Dr. Wells said, clearing his throat, "we have an even bigger matter to deal with right now. Where is Barry Allen?"

"Looking like he's about to put the smack down on this poor guy in the middle of the street," Felicity said from where she was leaning over the computers in front of her.

"That's Eddie," Averey said, standing over her. She pressed her finger to the computer screen, indicating the man lying in the middle of the street. Felicity slapped her hand away with a loud cry of, "Don't touch the computer screen." Averey apologized, shaking her head. "I don't understand, why would he go after Detective Thawne?"

"Because Eddie has been talking to Singh about starting up a new division with the CCPD," Detective West replied with a nice, pinching the bridge of his nose. "A special task force _against _the Flash. To track him down, get him off the streets or something. He just found out today."

"What?" Averey asked, whirling around to face the African American man. "Detective West, he can't do that. Barry's just trying to help."

"You can call me Joe," Detective West said with a hint of a smile, "and I don't think it's a good idea, either, but Eddie's been trying really hard to get this off the ground. I mean, we can't exactly let him in on all of this."

"We're going to need some help with this," Dr. Wells said, removing his glasses from his face. He ran a hand over his head. "Felicity, I believe you're in touch with the Arrow. He's the only one who can stand a chance against Barry. With how fondly Barry speaks of this green clad vigilante, maybe he can get through to him."

"Uhh, yeah, no problem. The Arrow always answers my calls," Felicity said, reaching for her phone from where it sat on the desk. "Not like he jumps at my every beck and call or anything like that. I didn't mean that." She quickly dialed a number into her phone and lifted it to her ear. She got to her feet and headed out of the cortex for privacy.

"Uh, we've got another problem," Cisco called. He slid his hair behind his ears before quickly tapping the keyboard in front of him. With a loud tap on the ENTER key, a map with a red pulsating dot. "Bivolo's back at the foundry. Sensors have been tripped after the last empty handed search there."

"Doesn't look like Barry's going to leave Eddie's side anytime soon," Joe muttered. "If this is anything like his dad's case…Barry can hold a grudge for a long time."

"What are we going to do then?" Caitlin asked, chewing on her bottom lip. "The Arrow has to help Barry, but the metahuman…"

"I can go," Averey spoke up. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. "I _can. _I'm supposed to help, right? Isn't that what I'm here for?" She got silence in response. "I can help. I can do more than just be stuck here and have tests done on me."

"Averey—"

"Barry won't always have the Arrow to help him, right?" Averey asked. Then a confused look crossed her face. "Who and _what _is this Arrow, by the way?"

"Starling City's 'Caped Crusader' so to speak," Caitlin replied, using air quotes. "Starling's had their fair share of troubles lately."

"Ms. Moore, I don't advise you to go after Bivolo with your lack of experience in this kind of scenario," Dr. Wells suggested.

_That's not really my fault, is it_? Averey bit down on her tongue, stopping herself from allowing the words out of her mouth. "Plus," Cisco added, sticking a finger in the air, "I haven't made you a suit yet. So…"

"I don't need a suit, I know how to defend myself," Averey insisted. "Barry can't do this alone. He needs help. He's not even himself right now. You all agree."

"This might be something that the police should handle right now, Averey," Joe said quietly. He rocked back and forth on his heels just slightly as the picture on the computers switched back to the streets of Central City.

"Uh….I think they're all preoccupied by Barry right now," Cisco pointed out, watching as police car after police car took sharp turns around corners, speeding down the straightaway. "It doesn't look like Bivolo is going to go anywhere. He only cleared out last time when the police came his way."

_Perfect time for someone to try and take him down, then. _Averey twisted her mouth to the side. _And to understand what it is exactly that he can do. _She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning up against the computers. Her gaze shifted around the lab before landing on the veyesor sitting on the table. _You've always had problems with authority, Ave. _Her fingers twitched at her sides.

On the one hand, she'd be helping a friend out. And her brother; not that he even was aware of that piece of news yet. But, siblings were supposed to look out for each other and this way she was sure she could look out for him. On the other, she was stealing. A valuable piece of equipment at that. STAR Labs had done nothing to her—except for give her this condition to begin with—but try to help her and this was how she was going to repay them?

_Technically, you're helping them out with the tests and everything, _Averey reasoned with herself. _And if they can bring Bivolo into their prison, they can understand how he works. You'd still be helping them with their tests and experiments, just on a different person. _She pressed her lips tightly together, biting down on the inside of them until they started to shake.

Her mind was made up.

"Sorry, but I can't just sit here and not try to help Barry," she declared.

Rushing forward, she dodged past Felicity and Detective West, grabbing the veyesor before sprinting for the exit of the cortex. "Whoa-hey!" Cisco cried, leaping to his feet. "You can't just—where are you going?"

"Miss Monroe," Dr. Wells pushed his wheelchair forward, chasing after her as fast as she could as he rounded a bend in the curved hallway. "This is not a good idea. I implore you to come back."

Averey flinched as the man's gruff tone bounced off each wall, encircling her head as she rushed towards the exit. Her heart pounded, half expecting some alarms to start blaring and steel enforced doors to start sliding down, locking her in. She hesitated just briefly at the exit before sucking in a deep breath of air and made her way out into the streets and to the nearest bus stop, switching off the connection to STAR Labs as she did so.

Soon she was on the other side of Central City, staring up at a large and long brick building. Windows were boarded up or broken up, the parking lot cracked with grass filling the spaces. The talk smoke stacks stretched into the night sky, casting a dark shadow over the roof; the tin warped and missing pieces.

"Alright, let's see what we have here," Averey whispered, grasping the rounded ear pieces of Cisco's invention. Sliding them over her ears she found that they fit perfectly, nice and snug to keep the cool winter breeze out. She gently pressed on the band and lowered the eye wear, locking it into place with a click. "Whoa."

The distant lights, while already dull, were dimmer but clear to see; without the additional rays encircling them. They seemed to reduce the darkness of the shadows, seeming to allow the building to stand out more in the dark. Shards of glass that littered the empty parking lot glittered just slightly in the dim moonlight that tried to shine through the clouds. They crunched under her shoes as she quickly made her way towards the dark building, slipping inside the half bent metal door.

Averey never knew just how loud silence could be. It was unnerving and combined with the noise cancelling of her ear pieces, she couldn't help the uneasy feeling that settled into her lower back. Quickening her pace, she traveled deeper and deeper into the abandoned building, keeping her head on a swivel for any sign of movement until she caught site of a distant glow. A light.

She stopped.

"Come on, Averey," she whispered to herself. "You can do this. You want to help Barry so stop being such a scaredy cat."

"_That's an interesting emotion. Fear._"

Averey jumped at the sudden deep voice. Her legs shook and she hurried forward, colliding into the doorjamb. Grabbing her shoulder in pain, she turned around and faced the man in yellow as he shimmered in front of him, eyes ablaze.

"_It makes you do some things you wouldn't normally. You could freeze up. You could act spontaneously. It's all part of the fight or flight response_."

"You're not here," Averey said, squeezing her eyes shut. "You're not here, I'm making this up. This…this is because of Bivolo."

"_I'm afraid not._" The vibration got closer, filling hear ear pieces, surrounding her._ "I promise you that I am very real_." Averey screamed in pain as she was forcefully shoved back into the wall before a hand gripped and tugged at her hair. "_So what are you going to do?_ _Fight? Or run away_?"

Averey blindly reached around the door jamb before rushing out, her feet carrying her as far away from the man, as fast as they could take her. Her quick breaths were amplified through her head. Taking turn after turn, she tried to put as much distance as she could behind her. She barely registered the hallways getting brighter and brighter before she rounded a corner and ran straight into a solid figure.

"Oof." Averey stumbled back, bracing herself against a pile of boxes. Massaging the back of her head, she peered up into Bivolo's face. "You!"

"Funny, I was expecting the Flash at some point," Bivolo commented, tilting his head to the side. He slowly blinked, a blank look on his face. "Someone to give me more of a challenge. Here I was wondering what was taking him so long and I have my answer."

"What did you do to him?" Averey asked, hearing her voice quiver. She swallowed thickly and stood up straight. "He's not himself."

"Oh, everybody has rage filled days," Bivolo said, throwing his hands into the air. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I doesn't hurt to let it out every once in a while. I just…helped him get there." He then clasped his hands together in front of him, taking a step towards her. "You see, I want to help people express those feelings they're keeping deep down. Anger, disgust, fear, joy, and sadness are the root of our emotions."

Averey slowly stepped away from the metahuman but he kept advancing. "The Flash is filled with rage from what, I don't know," Bivolo continued. "It's no wonder he chose to represent the color red. You on the other hand…I get the distinct feeling that you're scared of a lot. You operate on it. You're scared of so much you try and make sure things don't turn out the way you're scared of."

"What are you, a shrink?" Averey asked, pushing the boxes in front of her. Bivolo stopped, fixing her with a hard stare.

"I'm trying to be," he said through gritted teeth. "I was _going _to be before whatever the hell Harrison Wells was doing that night turned me into this." He slowly smiled. "But, I still have a chance. What with these new…abilities, I could be top in my field. Who else would be able to understand a person's feelings better than someone that gave it to them." His eyes quickly flashed the colors of the rainbow before returning to their dark, cold, brown.

"That's cheating," Averey muttered.

"We all have to make a living, right? Bivolo asked. "This is America, where wealth, one could argue, is the basis of success."

"That's why you robbed the bank, to get enough money to start up your office," Averey realized. "Your business."

"Why not work with the gifts you're given?" Bivolo asked with a half smile. "Surely you could understand that." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "So tell me, what gift, if any, did Harrison Wells give you? Would you describe the experience as something you identify with positively."

Averey opened and closed her mouth. "I-I know what you're doing," she said, pointing a finger at him. "You're psycho-analyzing me and it's not going to work."

"It's normal to be hesitant during your first visit," Bivolo explained with a shrug. He paused for a moment. "Or scared."

Averey grit her teeth before roughly pushing the boxes aside. She threw a punch at Bivolo's head but he quickly lifted swung his arm up and outwards, blocking it. His wrist collided painfully with hers before he looped his hand around, trapping her arm in the crook of his elbow. She quickly swung her knee upwards, sinking it into her stomach. As he doubled over, she landed an uppercut to his jaw.

Bivolo's teeth clicked as his head shot backwards. Averey pushed off the floor in a jump and stuck out her foot, kicking him in the chest, knocking him over. "Ow," Averey groaned, shaking out her stinging hand. She looked down at the broken skin on her knuckles, blood coating the area. "Damn."

Bivolo loudly swore before spitting a combination of saliva, mucus and blood onto the ground, glaring at her. "Now, now," he said, breathing heavily, "this is just misplaced anger. I'm sure we could come to—" He sucked in a deep, wheezing breath of air, "an agreement if we just talk this out. I'm no expert, not yet, but lashing out…it's a fear reaction." He fixed her with an intense gaze, eyes lowly glowing purple. "So, what is it, you're so afraid of?"

The purple light intensified before it covered everything. Averey lifted her hands and covered her eyes as best as she could. She heard a shuffling sound, glass breaking, and then a loud scream shortly followed by a rush of air that blew past her, tugging at her hair and clothes.

"Leave her alone, Bivolo," a deep, gruff voice bellowed. "Back off."

Averey removed her hands and saw the Flash standing over Bivolo who was on the ground, an Arrow sticking out of his shoulder. A hooded figure jumped down to the floor, a bow in his hand. His shoes squeaked as he turned to face her, his hood casting a dark shadow over his face, leaving his lips and goatee visible.

"Nice shot," Barry commented as her kneeled down beside Bivolo. He quickly looked him over before turning towards Averey. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Averey replied, nodding her head. She then faced the man in the hood. "You're the Arrow. Aren't you?"

"And _you _could've gotten hurt," he replied, indicating towards her with the bow in his hand. "The Flash and I came in the nick of time." He reached for his quiver and removed an arrow, stringing it. "Stay here while I check to make sure the place is secure."

"Thank—" Averey's words of thanks died on her lips as the Arrow took slow deliberate steps out of the room.

Barry lifted his hand, pressing his fingers to the lightning bolt on the side of his head. "Dr. Wells, we've got him," Barry said. "The Arrow's gone to secure the area. Averey's here, too. She's ok."

She sighed, her shoulders dropping. "Thanks, Barry," she said quietly. Averey then looked him over in his red suit as he straightened. "You're really the Flash aren't you?"

Barry nodded, his lips forming a line.

* * *

"Ow. Ow. Ow."

Averey slowly rotated her shoulder, tightly gripping it between her fingers as she tried to massage the pain away. Her body ached and her hand was throbbing but it was easier to handle than having Dr. Wells describe in detail the importance of their work and working together as a team.

It ranked up there with being scolded by her mother as one of the top thins she would do her best to not repeat if she could. After being debriefed at STAR Labs and allowing Cisco to download what the veyesor had recorded into the computer system, she was allowed to head home to sleep.

"Are you sure you don't need me to drop you off?" Joe asked from the driver's seat of his car.

"Yes, I'm sure," Averey replied with a nod. "It's just up the street a little and I don't feel like trying to explain why I was brought home in a cop car this late at night." She gave him a smile of thanks. "But, thank you for the ride."

Joe looked like he was going to protest, but nodded his head. "All right," he said as he shifted the car into drive, "but make sure you put ice on your hand tonight."

"Yes, sir," Averey said, giving him a salute. Joe pulled his car away from the curb, heading down the street. She watched until his car disappeared around the turn before continuing up the street. Once she made it to her shared house, she stopped short. Every single light in her house was on and blazing, standing out against the soft street lamps that illuminated the otherwise dark street.

"What the-?" She clutched her coat tighter around her before hurrying up the stairs. The door was unlocked. She pushed it open, groaning as her eyes started to throb, a burning sensation appearing on her eyelids.

Hurried footsteps sounded on the stairs, loud clattering came from the kitchen, and thumps from the direction of the living room. "Good, you're home," Casey said, flying past her, arms filled with boxes. Her face looked pale, eyes wide. "We've been calling."

"My phone's gone flat," Averey replied, following her into the kitchen to find Gavin huddled over the kitchen table, sorting through boxes. "What's happened?"

Gavin let out a long sigh before looking up at her. He tightly gripped the side of the box in his hands before he tapped his finger on the sides. "Some of our friends were arrested tonight," he replied. His jutted his jaw forward before going back to what he was doing.

"What?" Averey's breath rushed out of her mouth. "I'm sorry." She stepped further into the bright kitchen. She made a face, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the bright light. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Silence suddenly filled the house as everyone stopped moving. Casey and Gavin exchanged looks before the shorter girl turned to face Averey. She pressed her lips together before they parted and she licked her lips. "We're sorry, too," she said quietly. "Seriously."

A sinking feeling suddenly came to Averey and she pressed a fist into her stomach. She shook her shoulders just slightly, rolling them forward and back trying to get rid of the uncomfortable feeling. "Sorry for what?" she asked quietly.

She didn't get a verbal response, but a sharp prick into the side of her neck. Averey stared back at Gavin and Casey's blank looks before her vision went dark. Her knee gave out beneath her and she hit the floor unconscious.


	14. It's Nice to See You Again, Barry

**-Chapter Fourteen-**

**"It's Nice to See You Again, Barry"**

"I think she's waking up_._"

"It's about time."

Averey slowly blinked open her eyes, instantly sensing that someone was in the room with her. As she lifted her hand to rub at her eyes, a loud groan of pain tumbled out of her mouth. Her ribs ached with each breath and the muscles in her arms and legs were stiff; they protested as she slowly tried to move. Her knuckles throbbed and as she glanced down at the back of her hand, she found them scabbed over, rings of bright red surrounding it.

"Hey, get up." Gavin loudly clapped his hands together from where he stood in the doorway. Casey was perched on the side of Averey's bed, handing her Advil and a bottle of water. Brent was pacing the room, chewing on his thumbnail. "We've got to talk." His upper lip curled just slightly as he looked around the dark room, his eyes lingering on the dark sheets covering the windows. "Partially about you living like a vampire."

"Ow, ow, ow," Averey groaned, slowly swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She muttered a "thanks" to Casey before tilting her head back, dropping the white pills into her mouth before chasing it with water. "My head is pounding. Did I get smashed last night or something?"

"Oh, you smashed something alright," Brent commented. He stopped pacing and faced her, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. "You don't remember?"

Averey squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think back. _Remember something. Anything. _But she only got a giant blank right after… "I got home…and then nothing," she explained, opening her eyes.

"Good," Gavin said with a satisfied smile. He stepped up behind Brent and clapped him on the shoulder before jostling from side to side. "So it worked. Welcome to the Royal Flush Gang."

"Gav!" Casey said, her head snapping to the side to glare at him. She clenched her teeth. "_That's not. What. We. Planned_."

"We're wasting time, Case," Gavin said with a roll of his eyes. He took a few steps further into the room. "She's already proven her loyalty and we need someone working under us."

_Where have I heard that name before? _Averey lifted the bottle to her lips taking a long sip as she thought. And then it hit her. Keystone. Detective Thawne. Being arrested. She quickly swallowed her mouthful of water, some dribbling down her chin. She jumped to her feet, reaching for her bedside table as he knees buckled in protest. Her water bottle hit the floor, spilling its contents over the carpet.

"The Royal Flush Gang?" she cried as Casey hurried to her closet to grab towels. "_Are you serious_?'

"I don't joke about things like this," Gavin commented, blinking once. "Those friends of ours arrested like last? They were the top tier in our division." He scowled. "Thanks to the Arrow and the Flash now we're top tier and you're our newest recruit."

_The foundry. _The Arrow had gone to secure the area after he and Flash helped her with Bivolo. They must've been there as well. "No way," Averey said, pushing herself to stand up straight. Her thigh muscles bunched, straining to keep her standing. "I won't do it."

"You already have," Brent pointed out to her. "All those packages, the mail we've had you deliver here and to Mercury Labs…the stolen Jitters money…you've been a part of it this whole time."

Averey's stomach dropped. "What Jitters money?" she asked quietly.

Casey clicked her tongue as she dropped an armful of towels onto the wet splotch on the floor. She stepped on it with her feet, prompting the towel to soak up the water before grabbing the Jitters to go cup on the bedside table.

"_This _money," she said, popping off the top, tilting it towards her. Averey's mouth went dry when she saw the wadded up bills stuffed inside. "A good haul, too, for a first timer."

"No," Averey said, shaking her head back and forth. She pushed the coffee cup away from her and Casey set it back down onto the table. "No, I didn't—I didn't do that. No." She put her hands to her head. "Think, Averey, think! What did you do last night? What did you do?" _Think, think, think._

"Listen!" Brent grabbed her hands, removing them from her head. "You were a part of this. You went with us to Jitters for your late shift. When you were cleaning up, we took the money," Brent replied. He shook her and Averey stared up at him with wide eyes, her bottom lip trembling. "You were an accomplice to the crime. You're just as guilty."

"I don't want this," Averey said quietly. "I'm not doing it."

Gavin let out an amused chuckle. He had changed. They all had. Gone were their laid back attitudes. Despite working in the world famous Mercury Labs, they enjoyed their free time and made the most of it as much as possible. Their friendship mainly consisted of inside jokes and putting each other down, but she could see that they all cared for each other. Now a serious air wrapped around them like the warmest, scratchiest blanket. It made her itchy.

"We can make sure you're properly motivated," Gavin said, deadpan. He stepped up beside Brent and tapped him on the arm. Brent silently looked over at Gavin before letting Averey go, stepping away from her. Gavin looked Averey up and down before his eyebrows twitched upwards. "As long as you do your job everything will be ok. And then you can go back home to your parents."

His eyes narrowed just slightly. "Ellie and Daniel, right? Your house is pretty elegant looking; two car garage, a wrap around balcony overlooking the tree tops—a perfect place to start up a photography hobby. I don't know how many other people have their own dark room in the shed out back _and _an in ground pool to boot."

Averey gaped at him, a rush of air falling out of her mouth. He had described her house perfectly. "I…I never told you that," she managed to get out. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She swallowed thickly. "How do you know that? Have you been stalking me?"

"No," Casey said quietly. "_We _haven't." Averey looked over at her. Casey bowed her head just slightly before giving her an apologetic look.

"I thought you were my friends," Averey said, just as quiet.

"We're all relying on you and so are your parents; if you do as we say, they won't get hurt," Gavin continued. "Or we might go after your dad; your _real_ dad. We can find out a whole lot of things about you, Averey. Don't make us do something we'll regret. That you'll regret."

_Henry. _Averey pressed her lips together. If they could find out so much about her home life, they could find about him, too. Then they'd find out about Barry, and the Flash, and STAR Labs. _STAR Labs. _Mercury Labs was their opponent, this all had to be about them. Now that she was acquaintances with Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells…she was a link between them all. _What if they already know?_

She peered into Gavin's eyes, but they weren't giving anything away. He always seemed to be the more private one out of the three of them. All those phone calls she dodged from her mom. Maybe she was trying to warn her. She should've answered the phone.

"Don't hurt them," she said quietly.

"Good, I think she gets the picture," Gavin said more out loud than to anyone else. He lifted a hand and patted Averey on the cheek. "See, you're a bit of a loose end and we want to make sure is all tied up before we leave. It'll make our little Christmas break a bit more enjoyable. I'm sure you want it the same way."

"You were packing," Averey said. She slowly lowered herself onto her bed, running her hands over her face before pulling her fingers down around her jaw to the end of her chin. "Last night, you were packing. I thought you were looking for stuff to pawn to bail your friends out of jail." Gavin snorted.

"They knew the risks when they went out." Casey crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged her shoulders. "They'll do their time and then they're out."

"That's it?" Averey asked. "You're just going to leave them in there? In jail." She got silence in response. "Where are you going?"

"Metropolis," Gavin replied. "Just relax and lay low for a few days and then we'll officially bring you in as recruit ranking number eight."

"_Eight?_" Brent repeated. His voice cracked. "_I_ came in at a number two and she's an _eight?" _Averey gave him a confused look.

"It must hurt, B," Casey said with an amused smile. "First I outrank you and now our newest recruit comes in at a higher rank than you did." She chuckled before turning towards Averey. 'We have a hierarchy in the gang; King, Queen, and Jack." She pointed towards Gavin before putting a hand to her chest, and angling her head in Brent's direction. "Most recruits, like us, come in at a two and work our way up with completion of projects, tasks, and assignments. You, on the other hand, are joining as an eight. You get important assignments, but nothing like some of what we have to handle."

"So two is the lowest rank and Ace is the highest," Averey thought aloud. "Like a deck of cards; Royal Flush, I get it." Her thoughts were swirling. How could she have such excellent eyesight but be so blind to see what was going on in front of her? "There, uh, there were rumors of the Royal Flush Gang in Keystone."

"Different city, different group," Brent replied. "Same ranking system. There was also one in Starling—a family run group mainly—but they got busted by the cops, too."

"_The point is_ we trusted you with our projects—whether or not you knew what it was—so we can trust you with this." Gavin stepped closer, lowering his voice into a snarl. "Just remember that if you say anything to anyone, your previous record won't make things easy on you _if_ and _when _you get arrested. For the second time."

Averey's shoulders slumped. "…Ok." There was nothing else she could do; she was backed into a corner. If she defied them, then they'd do something to her family. They knew a lot more than she remembered telling them and surely in ways she was afraid to know the answer of. They could find out about STAR Labs about Barry.

"Good." Gavin's face brightened with a smile. "Now get going to work before you're late." He arched an eyebrow. "Have a nice day."

"Wait," Averey said and Gavin gave her a curious look. "Why me?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, bowing his head just slightly before the sniffed, looking back up at her. "Let's just say that there was more than one aspect of the particle accelerator accident we've been keeping a _close_ _eye _on," he replied. Averey's heart beat sped up. "Plus you've always describe yourself as having an _eye _for detail, so…" He let his sentence hang in the air before he turned on his heels, ushering Brent and Casey out of the room.

Averey sat still, staring at the closed door. She couldn't believe what was happening. It sounded impossible and yet here she was a new gang member with stolen money sitting on her bedside table. Seconds later, the Jitters cup hit the back of her door, the money flying out of the top, fluttering to the floor.

"Bloody hell," she whispered, gripping handfuls of her hair. She gently pulled until her scalp tightened and started to burn. "This isn't happening." She let out an odd laugh as she released her hair. "Even if it didn't happen, I saw them all say it so I'm going to remember it for the rest of my life."

_Bzzzzz. Bzzzzz. R_eaching for her cell phone as it loudly vibrated against the table, Averey she found she had to text messages, one from Tracy and one from Iris, both telling her to get to Jitters as fast as she could. "Of course it is," she whispered before quickly firing off a text reply. After a shower, change of clothes, and making sure she had her belongings, she was on her way to Jitters (jamming her sunglasses down over her nose).

Her fingers twitched at her sides and she sped up and slowed down her pace as she made her way to the coffee shop. Why couldn't she figure out what made her forget a gap of her time? As she came up to a crosswalk, she reached into her bag for her notebook. Flipping through the pages, she came upon her latest entry.

"Shoot," she whispered, tapping her finger on the last thing she wrote: _STAR Labs_. She crossed the street as the light changed, shoving her notebook back into her bag. "So much for that. It's like the memories have erased—ah!" Her head suddenly throbbed with sharp pain, causing her vision to tilt. Her eyes watered before tears streamed down her face as she tightly squeezed them shut.

_Averey's vision swam in the tears that filled her eyes. Her eyes were burning. It was too bright. The lights bounced off the white walls, floors, and reflective table tops. She tried to sit up but she was held down by something. She got some reprieve as a shadow fell over her. A man and a woman stood over her._

_"Now, now, there's nothing to worry about," the woman said gently, dabbing at her eyes with a cotton ball. "Our techniques are non-invasive and pretty soon you'll be rid of those pesky terrible memories. Just think what life would be like without them." She cursed as Averey continued to wiggle. "Hold her down."_

_"With this procedure war veterans won't suffer through what they've seen for years to come" the man said, reaching for the side of the table. Whatever as holding her down tightened. "Those who have been assaulted, or have to live and lead dangerous lives, PTSD will be a thing of the past. It'll be a distant memory. A very distant memory."_

_"When you wake up you'll find these bad memories as well as your time here will be gone," the woman continued. "This is still a project we're testing out so it's very important not to go blabbing about this and interfere with our team from getting the information we need. Just think of all the people you'll be helping. You'll be putting our operation on the map. Think of the fame." Her gaze shifted towards the man. "Are we ready?"_

_"Yes, doctor." The man nodded._

_"We're administering you a…sedative of sorts" A syringe was held above her, in Averey's eye line. "Now this…this we've tested and perfected. You can still interact with everyone; you can still go about your daily routine just like everybody else. You're in no danger while under this sedative. Have you ever heard of highway hypnosis? It's the same effect." She lowered the syringe. "Ok, here we go_."

A rush of wind suddenly blew past Averey, propelling her forward. She dug her feet into the ground, trying to stop herself from falling forward and stumbled back onto her bottom. He didn't know which hurt worse in the moment, her head or her tail bone. Barry chuckled as he held his hand out towards her.

"Sorry," he apologized, helping her to her feet. He adjusted the strap to the large square bag hanging off his shoulder. "I forget how much damage I can cause when I do that." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "I was on my way to Jitters. Joe called and said something happened. I saw you so I stopped."

"…Oh?" Averey asked, trying to keep her face neutral. She didn't want to give him any reason to think that anything was wrong despite having the urge to just blurt out everything on her mind. "I was on my way there. Iris told me." Barry fell into step beside her. "Might as well zoom on ahead. You don't want to be late..._again_."

"I'm going to be late either way," Barry replied with a sigh. He pulled his coat tighter around. "That just gives them more time to get statements from witnesses. Besides, I wanted to see how you're doing after last night."

_What part of it? _She cringed as she lifted her hand to massage her rib cage. "I was just trying to help," Averey insisted. "You were going after Eddie and Bivolo needed to be caught." She twisted her mouth to the side. "Dr. Wells said he wanted to talk to me first thing as soon as I get to STAR Labs." She shuddered partially due to the cold and partially at the thought of having to talk to the accomplished scientist. "You know, for someone who doesn't have kids, he can really put that fear in you that parents can only do. You know the one where you think about everything you've done in the past few days to figure out what you did wrong?"

"Dr. Wells just wants you to make sure you're ok," Barry insisted. "That you, yourself, are ok and that you're ok with all of this."

"Don't you ever get scared?" Averey asked, sliding her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, peering up at Barry. "Having to fight those Metahumans?"

"Yeah, I do," Barry replied with a nod of his head. "Sometimes I wonder why I work so hard to help Central City after all it's done for me." His lips twitched. "Or not done I should say."

"You're a good person, Barry," Averey said, twisting to the side just slightly to bump his elbow with her own. "That's why. And so are Caitlin, Cisco, and Dr. Wells, who you're also helping." Barry's eyebrows twitched and she gave him a smile. "And, I guess, you don't have to do it alone anymore. Not that you ever were, but you get what I mean, hey?"

"Yeah," Barry agreed with a nod of his head. He pulled his coat tighter around his body as a cool breeze blew. He shivered. "So, what are you doing for Christmas?"

Central City certainly knew how to celebrate the holiday in style. Lights were hung up on every tree branch, store awning, and building in the city. Stores played lively Christmas music putting even the slightest spring in everyone's steps if not have them humming the infectious tune. Families made their way down the streets, stopping at each window with a Christmas themed riddle hanging up in it, trying to solve as many as they could.

It certainly wasn't like Christmas back home but it made her excited for the holiday all the same. Even if she was spending it alone. Truth be told, she welcomed the idea of it. She didn't want to be around her roommates right now.

"My roommates are headed off to Metropolis to spend the holidays with Gavin's family so I'll be drinking my body weight in Tim Tam Slams mostly," Averey replied. Barry gave her an odd look. "It's where you bite the ends off a Tim Tam biscuit, put it in hot chocolate, and then use the biscuit as a straw. I actually wasn't much of a fan of it back home, but after I saw they sold it here, I've been buying them in bulk." She shrugged her shoulders. "It sounds kind of stupid to say, but the Tim Tam Slam tastes like home."

"No, I get it," Barry insisted. "Whenever I smell Gingerbread cookies, I instantly flash back to home," He lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers by his temple. "My mom's Gingerbread cookies were the best." A smile came to his face. His eyes fluttered shut as he took in a deep breath of air as if he could smell the cookies right then and there. "I remember when Joe first took me in all I wanted was to be at Iron Heights with my dad. I must've tried to make a break for it ten times that night. Every time he was able to calm me down until I eventually fell asleep. It was, like, two in the morning when I woke up suddenly, but he and Iris were making Gingerbread cookies. I was too tired to eat them then, but, I don't know, something about the smell makes me feel like she's still there to comfort me."

"That's it exactly, it's comforting," Averey said, sharing his smile. "Why'd you ask?"

"Why don't you come over to Joe's?" he offered. "Drink some eggnog, relax, and get in the Christmas spirit. It's not fun spending Christmas alone." His smile disappeared just slightly. "I was just on my way to see my dad, actually. I mean, after I'm done at work."

"Oh." Averey's mouth suddenly went dry. Her heart started pounding in her chest. _Just tell him, just tell him, just tell him. _"That's good. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." She sucked in a breath of air and slowly let it out, trying to calm her heart. "He's lucky to have a son like you. Oh! And—and the Wests are lucky to have you in their lives." She made a face. "I'm stuffing that up. I meant—"

"It's ok," Barry said, putting a hand in the air. "Joe's been great and Iris…Iris is like my sister."

Averey stared at him before letting out a loud laugh. "You're kidding right?" she asked. She grabbed his arm, stopping him from walking. "I mean…_really_?"

"I—wh—_no_," Barry insisted, his voice cracking just slightly. "No."

"Barry," Averey said, crossing her arms over her chest, "a blind monkey could see that you have romantic feelings for Iris." Barry blinked rapidly. "How could anyone not when you seem to always have this smile on your face when you're around her?" She pointed her index fingers at her mouth as she pulled her top lip back just slightly to reveal her teeth in a smile. "I don't blame you; she's nice, smart, pretty, a good writer. Any guy would be lucky to have her."

"Well, Eddie's a pretty lucky guy," Barry muttered.

"But, he's no Barry Allen," Averey insisted with a smile. Barry laughed quietly as they came up to Jitters, finding the street filled with police cars. "Oi. Take a gander at that."

"Oh no," Barry whispered. "I'll catch you later." He tucked his bag under his arm and hurried off at a jog to do his work.

Averey slowed her pace and looked around, calculating all the potential ways to escape. She shifted her weight, getting ready to run, when she heard her name called. Turning on her feet, she saw Iris hurrying over to her. "Hey, Iris," she greeted the African-American woman.

"Hey," Iris greeted her, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "So, it seems like the store was robbed last night." Averey lifted her eyebrows. "Yeah, I know. The cash register was almost cleared out. Um, Eddie's talking to Tracey right now, but he wanted to get your statement too."

"Yeah, ok," Averey said, nodding her head. She nodded again and again and again. "No problem."

"You didn't see anything? When you were closing?" Iris asked, lowering her voice as she took a step closer to her. She let out an odd laugh. "I can't help but feel a little responsible, I mean, I _did _ask you at the last minute to cover my shift."

"No, don't worry about it, Iris," Averey said, waving her hand in the air. "I had a lot on my mind last night. I just wasn't paying too close attention."

Iris's eyebrows inched closer together. A sparkle appeared in her eyes. "Anything about that other Flash?" she asked.

Averey lifted a hand and rubbed at the top of her head. She could suddenly feel the Yellow Flash's tight grip on her hair all over again. She almost forgot about that. "Yeah, something like that," Averey replied. She put her hand on Iris's shoulder "Might as well talk to Eddie now. I'll fill you in a tick."

"Ok."

Averey stepped past the surrounding police officers and made a beeline over to Eddie. "Detective Thawne, Iris said you wanted to talk to me?" she said to the blonde detective.

"Yes, I do," Eddie said before giving Tracey a smile and a nod of thanks. He flipped over to a clean sheet of paper on his small notebook, pen at the ready. "You were on closing shift last night, right? You didn't see anyone lurking around at that time?"

_I can't even remember what _I _was doing. _Averey twisted the strap to her bag in between her hands before lifting her fingers to adjust the zipper on her coat pulling it up, down, and up again. "Uh, no, I didn't see anyone," she replied with a shake of her head.

"Neither did the security cameras," Eddie said with a sigh, his shoulders slumping just slightly. "According to the manager, they just went out. Stopped working. Seems whoever it was, knows what they're doing." He reached into the breast pocket of his coat. "And look what they left behind." Eddie gave a triumphant smile. He held up a hand and showed her four playing cards: a king, a queen, a jack, and an eight. "Seems this was the work of the Royal Flush Gang; it's like their calling card."

"Three members of their gang were arrested last night," Barry said, stepping over to the two of them, a pair of gloves in his hands.

"Uh-huh," Eddie agreed, a smile suddenly coming to his face.

"I'll take that." Barry snatched the playing cards out of Eddie's hand. "You know better than to tamper with evidence, Eddie."

"Sorry, Barry," Eddie said, the smile of excitement never leaving his face. "It seems like they had four more ready to take over after the arrest." He rubbed his hands together. "This is the kind of thing I joined the force for. I followed the Royal Flush Gang from Keystone to Central City and I'm going to catch them before they go somewhere else."

_Like Metropolis_? Averey felt her upper lip starting to curl and tried her best to counter it and give Eddie a reassuring smile.

* * *

Barry slowly lowered himself down into the plastic chair facing the wall of glass his father sat behind. Henry smile as he watched Barry reach for the phone, placing the rounded ear piece to his ear.

"Hey there, Slugger."

Barry couldn't help but smile. After all these years, just hearing the name helped uplift his spirits. Five minutes, or even thirty minutes, was never enough time. He just had to remember that everything he was doing was to get his dad out of jail. Every day counted.

"Hi, dad," Barry replied. "Sorry it's been a while since I've seen you."

"Oh, that's alright," Henry said with a sigh. "I understand you've got your own life to lead."

Barry bowed his head for a moment, removing the phone from his ear. Swallowing, he tried to squash the lump in his throat and hold back the tears in his eyes. It wasn't fair. He could do whatever it was he wanted including watching his dad rot in jail over something he didn't do. Innocent until proven guilty his foot. If it wasn't for Joe and seeing how the police department worked first hand, he'd have given up on trying to get his dad out of jail ages ago.

Henry's smile faded just slightly. His lips parted before he motioned for Barry to put the phone back to his hear. "Don't do that," he said quietly. "It's Christmas. It's always been your favorite holiday. I swear around this time of year, I could never wipe the smile off your face."

"What is it like?" Barry asked. "Celebrating in there? Alone?"

"I'm not alone, Bare," Henry replied. "You and your mother are always here with me."

"Dad," Barry said, giving him a pointed look. "For real?"

Henry let out a long sigh, briefly closing his eyes. "It's not easy being in here, Barry," Henry said quietly. "I know I've been trying to make it sound all right, but…you're older now, you deserve to know." He was silent for a moment, giving Barry a questioning look.

Wetting his lips, Barry had a protest on the tip of his tongue. He didn't want to hear just how bad it was. He could imagine what day to day life in jail was like, but actually knowing? On the one hand, it'd give him more of an incentive to get him out of jail. On the other, it would just hurt even more to know that he was still stuck there.

"Are you ok?" Barry asked.

"Yes, Barry, I promise," Henry replied with a nod of his head. "I'm ok. I would exactly call them friends but there's a few people here I look out for and they do the same for me." He set his elbow onto the table and propped his chin up on his palm. "I get by day to day and that's what's important. Now, enough about me. How are you doing?"

"I've…got a lot going on," Barry said with a sigh of his own.

"I've been able to catch the news sometimes," Henry agreed, slowly nodding. "Seems the whole CCPD has a whole lot to handle."

"Yeah, sometimes," Barry agreed with a nod of his head. "But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about getting you out of here." Henry let out a long sigh. He scratched the side of his stubble covered face and dragged his forefinger and thumb down the sides of his face to the point of his chin. "I know, dad, but the longer you're in here, and the longer it takes me to get you out…it just sucks that no one else is trying to help you."

"What helps me, Barry, is knowing that you're happy, and healthy, and being the best man you can be," Henry replied. "I've seen you grow up and you've become the man I could only dream of you becoming."

"You should've been there in person," Barry replied.

"Barry," Henry said giving him a pointed look. "I _am _here to see it in person." He twisted his mouth to the side. "I don't think I could ever truly understand how hard this has been for you, but I've been here. Not in the way you want, of course, but I am." He pressed his lips together for a moment. "Most importantly, you've been here for me, too."

Barry pulled one side of his lips up in the best smile he could muster. Henry opened and closed his mouth for a moment, blinking rapidly. Barry watched as his eyes darted around, never focusing on one thing before they moved to another. Passing the phone from one ear to the other he asked, "What's wrong, dad?"

"I've, uh, just missed a lot," Henry replied, his voice suddenly sounding thick. He bowed his head for a moment before looking up at his son, sniffing. "There's so much I haven't been able to tell you over the years. Uh, about your mother, about our lives." He let out a chuckle. "When you were a kid, you'd always ask us questions; when did we meet, how did we meet, when did we know we were in love? Now the questions have changed."

"It's...it's been hard to think about mom," Barry admitted. "And you. I—I just think about that night and I get so _mad_." He could feel himself tensing up already. His knuckles popped as he curled his fingers into a fist on his lap. His knee bounced and he set his jaw. "No one believed me when I told them about that man. No one believed me when I told them that you didn't do it and somehow I got out of that house."

"It's hard to believe, Barry," Henry said quietly. "I can't fault them for that. Neither can you. I was there and—and even now, I can't really believe what I saw."

Barry squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his grip on the phone before he slammed his fist down onto the table. "_But, I_ _do_," he snapped. Henry jerked the phone away from his ear, eyebrows shooting upwards. "I know there was someone there that night. I saw him. I've seen him…and so has someone else."

"I…excuse me?" Henry asked.

"That man in the lightning…someone else has seen him," Barry replied. "I met this girl, Averey—" He threw his hand into the air, thinking quickly. He talked quietly, more to himself than to his dad. "I've thought about asking her to testify but…she was only a kid at the time. Who'd believe two kids? I need to find him. I can get him and show them that he's real." Tears started falling down his cheeks. "I need to get you out of here."

"Barry." His dad's voice came through the ear piece almost in a whisper. Barry lifted his head and watched a pained expression briefly cross his dad's face. "There's something I need to tell you and I need you to listen carefully, ok? D'you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you." Barry repeatedly nodding his head. He loudly sniffed, lifting his arm to wipe at his eyes and nose with his shirt sleeve. As he lowered his arm, he froze. Sitting in the reflection of the glass was the Man in Yellow, distorted, but its glowing red eyes fixed on him. Barry whirled around in his seat, searching the room, finding nothing. His heart pounded in his chest. _He's here_.

Muscles bunching in his legs, he was ready to spring out of his chair, but knew he couldn't. He could hear his dad's distant calling of his name through the phone in his hand. Slowly relaxing, he turned to face forward, settling back in his chair. With a shaky hand, he lifted the phone back up to his ear, addressing the look of concern on his father's face.

"Sorry, I…" Barry thought quickly. "I thought it was later than it actually is." He let out an odd laugh. "The…reflection of the clock."

"Well, time does fly by in here after a while," Henry commented. "Fourteen years sure went by pretty quickly."

"Dad, what were you going to say?" Barry asked.

"Nothing," Henry replied with a shake of his head. Barry gave him a questioning look. "It's, uh, nothing, Slugger. Merry Christmas." Barry continued to stare at him. "Now, go spend it with your friends, I don't want you to spend it in this dreary place."

"I don't want you to, either," Barry replied.

Henry chuckled. "You know, I can see your mom in you in everything you do," he said. "You're dedicated, and passionate, and smart, and caring. This year, that's the greatest Christmas gift I could get."

"I love you, dad."

An even greater gift would be to get his dad out of there_. _He became the Flash for a reason; to catch the Man in Yellow. And while at that moment in time, he just wanted to spend as much time with his dad as he could, he wanted to race out of there as fast as he could, faster, and to catch that yellow blur once and for all.

A low vibration suddenly sounded behind him; similar to the sound of helicopter blades spinning. Barry felt the familiar rush of wind pull backwards on his clothes just slightly. The hot, harsh breath on the back of his head came and went, but the taunting tone lingered far longer than the presence of the Man in Yellow himself.

"_It's nice to see you again, Barry_."

* * *

**A/N: **You'll see more of Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle in the next chapter. The _Arrow _part of the crossover, as you can see, isn't being handled immediately, but it will be seen in this story. And, since it's Christmas time and everything, more Cisco and Averey.

_Guest:_ I can see how you feel that I've had it focus on Averey's roommates a tad too much and I agree with you. I did need it to show the inner workings of their role in the story and the Royal Flush Gang, but I can see how it's been taking away from Averey's story as well. They'll still be around, but not much more will be shown from their point of view from this point.

_babyj: _I've actually been thinking about how to show they're related, or how people would think they were related for a while, but it was your comment that really made me push forward with it. So, thank you! I do have some instances in here that show how Averey acts like Henry, but there's more coming with more verbal cues.


	15. Look at the Big Picture

**-Chapter Fifteen-**

**"Look at the Big Picture"**

The cursor in the open document window blinked as Eddie stared at the white page in front of him. He clicked at the top of the window, dragging it out of view before his eyes darted from window to window of old newspaper articles emblazoned with the phrases, "Starling City Suffers a Royal Flush," "Royal Flush Gang Evades Police Again," and "String of Robberies Continues to Go Unsolved."

Eddie clenched his jaw, a burning sensation spreading through his mouth the harder he pressed his teeth together. "I just don't understand this," he whispered to himself.

He slowly shook his head back and forth, staring down at the crime scene photos spread out in a fan across his desk. A photo of the four playing cards found in Jitters sat in the forefront, almost taunting him. Reaching for the top drawer of his desk he pulled it out all the way before reaching into the back, removing a creased, bent, and torn playing card, the edges yellow just slightly with age. No, it definitely _was _taunting him.

Feeling a stinging pain in the palm of his hands, Eddie looked down and found his hand balled into a tight fist around the old playing card. Little half moon shapes appeared from where his fingernails were dug into his skin. Watching as the blood rushed back to the areas, turning the skin back from white to a pale red.

"Damn it!" Eddie shoved the card back into his desk before slamming his drawer shut with a loud _clack_. Settling back into his chair, he looked up to see Joe staring back at him, concern written all over his face. A hot flush rushed up his body. "Sorry. This just makes no sense. No one is _this good_ at robbing a place. They get caught eventually."

"Look, Eddie," Joe said quietly, running his fingers down the sides of his face, sliding over his goatee. "I know you have a history with this, but you can't let this get to you. I've seen too many people let one case drive take over their lives. It changes you and it changes everything around you and I've seen this first hand."

"I'm ok, Joe," Eddie insisted. "I'm just confused as to how this gang is so good at what they do."

"Hey, everyone messes up and gets sloppy sooner or later," Joe reminded him, putting his hands up defensively. "It's all about knowing when to pursue and when to back off, and I know how much you want to prove to everyone that you're good at what you do."

"What, are you a shrink now?" Eddie asked with more bite than he intended.

He understood what his partner was saying and it was an important aspect of their jobs. In part of his training to become a part of the police force, he had been told over and over again that he had to take it by each case. Bringing in baggage from one case to another ruined your focus. At the same time, it was hard to just forget the crime if there was never any conclusion or if it was as notorious as a string of robberies.

"Just trying to help, partner," Joe replied, settling back in his chair. "I know you've been chasing after these guys for a while; having them back in your neck of the woods has to be hard."

Eddie reached his hand into his pocket, his fingers brushing up against the small box he had put there early that morning. The same box he checked to make sure was there every five minute. Some things were hard, but some other things were harder; finding that one person that just gets you, allowing yourself to fully open and fall in love, taking your relationship to the next level. Those things were more important and had to be most important to him. He just had to remind himself of that.

"Its work," Eddie replied with a sigh, sitting up in his seat. "There are easier days and harder days, right?"

"Right," Joe agreed. He looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped himself. Giving a single nod of his head, he turned back to the work on his desk, dropping the subject.

Eddie tried to get back to work, but his mind just wasn't allowing him to do so. He suddenly got to his feet, catching Joe's attention. "I think I just need a break," he explained, reaching for his coat. He grabbed his wallet and keys out of his desk and slid them into his pocket. "I'm meeting Iris for lunch."

Joe made a humming sound in response. Eddies eyes narrowed just slightly as he looked over at his partner. "I know you weren't exactly happy to find out about the two of us—"

"Before or after you two told me?" Joe asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"Uhhh…"

"I wasn't thrilled about it," Joe said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, "and I'll admit I was pretty angry. But, of anything else, I was more worried about Iris. I haven't really seen her with anyone the way I've seen her with you and with our jobs, I didn't want to see her if something were to happen with you." He put his hands up defensively. "That's all. I mean, she's focused on her career and you're coming in, this hot shot from Keystone."

"I'd like to hope my ego has deflated a little bit," Eddie commented with a small laugh.

Joe laughed as well. "It's still weird to think that if you two got married, you'd become my son-in-law," he continued. Eddie pressed his lips together, shoving his hands deep into his pockets, his knuckles brushing against the box. "But, you clearly make Iris happy and that's all I want from her."

"So I guess now is a good time to tell you that I'm asking her to move in with me, today?" Eddie asked, pushing the words out of his mouth as quickly as he could. Joe sat back in his chair, but before he could say anything, Eddie cut him off. "I have to go or I'm going to be late."

"Detective Thawne!"

"And I think I hear my name being called," Eddie added. He bent over his computer his computer and closed every window before quickly crossing the room to Captain Singh.

"You know you're not going to get anywhere if you're scared of a woman's father," Joe called after him.

"Captain Singh," Eddie said, louder than he needed to, giving his boss a bright smile. His smile faded just slightly as he took in the indecipherable expression on the man's face. "Yes, sir?" Eddie asked, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat, sliding his hands into his pants pockets, wrapping his fingers around the box, hanging on for dear life.

"I have an answer for you regarding that task force you wanted," Captain Singh said as he came to a stop in front of the taller Detective. Eddie sucked in a breath of air, holding it in as he waited for his boss's next words. "After seeing the events that occurred with you, we're going to move forward with your request."

Eddie's breath rushed out in a single gasp-turned-laugh. "Really?" he asked. Singh held out a hand towards Eddie. Releasing his grip on the box, he removed his hand from his pocket and shook Singh's. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"I'm leaving this up to you, but I'd like to be kept informed of what's going on, detective," Singh explained, using his free hand to clap Eddie on the shoulder. A concerned look appeared on his face. "How are you doing after…everything? I mean, first you were shot and now…"

"I'm doing ok," Eddie replied, lifting a hand to touch his bottom lip. The swelling had quickly receded and the split was healing nicely. The stiffness and soreness in his muscles had lessened greatly due to his consistent morning exercise regime, but the Flash's attack had only added fuel to his fire. He was going to keep going and he was going to keep the city safe from these people, starting with him. "Better now. Focused on whatever is set in front of me."

"Good, good," Singh replied with a nod and a half smile. "That's what I like to hear. Congratulations, Thawne. Get started whenever you're ready."

"I will absolutely do that," Eddie said, a grin working its way onto his face. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me," Singh replied with a shake of his head. "We need to keep the city safe and this is one of the best ways to do it. I can't have anyone out there taking out my people." He lifted a hand and clapped Eddie on the shoulder before he jerked his thumb in the direction behind him. "Oh, and an Averey Moore is here to talk to you."

"Oh, ok," Eddie said, blinking at the sudden change of topics before nodding his head in acknowledgement. He stepped past Singh and made his way over to the lobby of the Central City Police Department, lifting a hand in a wave to the younger girl. "Iris must've told you about your Christmas gift. Otherwise I don't think you'd want to willingly step into a police station."

"Oooh, I like gifts," Averey said, clapping her hands together. "What gift would that be?"

"A get out of jail free card," Eddie replied with as best of a straight face as he could muster. Averey tilted her head back in a laugh and he snickered. "What'd you want to talk about? What's going on?"

"Were you on your way out or…?"Averey motioned towards the door. "I don't want to keep you. I just stopped by before getting more pictures at the park for my next blog post, t'see if you were free for a minute or two."

"I was going to meet Iris for lunch," Eddie said, glancing up at the clock above the giant wall art sitting in the lobby. "I can drive you over if you want?" Averey hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You won't have to sit in the back of the car; I don't even drive that kind of car."

"Well, in that case," Averey said with a half.

"I had a feeling," Eddie replied, arching an eyebrow. He tilted his head to the side. "Come on." He led the way out of the building, pulling his coat tighter around him as a chilly breeze blew. "So, what'd you want to talk about?"

"The Royal Flush Gang," Averey replied, pulling her thin scarf closer around her neck. Eddie fought the urge to whip his head in her direction, resulting in an odd twitch. "If you're allowed to answer, mate." She reached into her bag for a notebook with creases and bends in the cover (it curved as if it had been rolled a fair few times) and a blue sharpie. "I just had a few questions."

"Don't know how much I can tell you," he said, taking long strides across the parking lot to a black, sleek car. Pulling open the front door, he slid in to the cushy seat, slamming the door shut behind him. Minutes later he was maneuvering his car through the traffic of Central City. "What is it you want to know?" He tapped his thumbs along to the beat of the music softly playing from the radio.

"You've been covering cases with them and everything," Averey said, the tip of her sharpie poised over the notebook paper. She shrugged her shoulders, giving a small grin. "And since I seem to be at the center of 'em I figured I'd give it a fair go."

Eddie ran his fingers over the stubble of his chin, letting out a thought filled "hmm". It wasn't something that had gone unnoticed. He had even debated bringing her in for questioning, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He was a better cop, a better man now and didn't just go along with the first thought that slammed into the front of his skull. He had put enough time under his belt to prove that he was better than his past mistakes and his arguably big ego.

"Ask away," he finally said after a moment of silence. He swung his hand upwards, knocking the lever for the turn signal. A rhythmic click filled the car before glanced over his shoulder, switching lanes.

"Whatever happened with that case in Keystone?" Averey asked, getting straight to the point. "Did it end up going cold or did you leave before it was resolved…?"

"A little of both," Eddie replied and he heard the scratching of the marker on the paper. He let out a sigh through his nose. "Some people wanted to make it sound like I had give up on the case." It wasn't entirely wrong. He was getting frustrated with no results and a part of him was happy to finally move on from the gang that had been preoccupying his thoughts. However there was that one part of him that hated that he couldn't see the case all the way to the end. "You can only reassure a city you're doing your best with a case before people get tired of hearing it and still seeing no results."

"But, this gang…they were tough to get a handle on. They really know how to work as a team and make sure nothing and no one was left behind. They know how to make sure that apart from the cards they leave behind; nothing else can be traced back to them. They're good. I hate to admit it, but they are. The more crimes they committed—seemingly perfect crimes—the more frustrated everyone got. We took it out on each other, our families and on other criminals no matter what the crime."

The scratching stopped and Eddie looked over at the passenger seat, locking eyes with Averey. "I'm sorry," he said to her, "for doing the same thing to you. We were following a lead about who we thought were members, and you were with them. We thought maybe they were branching out, trying to groom you or something. It was a mistake and an understanding, and I apologize."

"Thanks," Averey said quietly. "Apology accepted."

"Can I ask _you _something, though?" Eddie asked and Averey nodded her head. "The Royal Flush Gang was known for robbing banks, but little things weren't off their radar either. Case and point with our mistaken identity and the shoe store. You know you didn't do anything and after the fact, I knew you didn't do anything."

"Mmhmm."

"So why'd you insist on taking the punishment?" Eddie asked. "You've could've had the charges dropped, your record expunged."

"Well, for one thing, I could see that my 'I didn't do its' weren't really getting me that far." Averey twisted her mouth to the side. "For another, I knew that I'd be getting charged anyway until I was actually proven to be innocent." She was silent for a moment. "You know the saying, 'one apple spoils the bunch'?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, I've never heard of any bloke actually looking for that initial bad apple before tossing the whole bunch," Averey explained. She let out an odd laugh as she reached up a hand, removing the dark beanie from her head. She ran her fingers through her hair. "Mum always made sure that whether or not I did anything, I got the punishment too. I hated it, but it helped me learn to be good. Relatively; I did have my angsty teen years."

"Who didn't?" Eddie asked with a laugh.

"So it's possible for the cops to just drop cases?" Averey asked, getting back to the original subject. Eddie let out an odd, startled laugh at the sudden change. "I understand having a case go cold; it's still open but not moving forward because they're waiting for more evidence." She waved a hand in the air, accidentally marking a blue streak on her left thumb. "But, a cop can just leave a case?"

"It's very rare, and usually only with minor, minor crimes," Eddie explained, "but yes. Sometimes. Many cops take any and every case very seriously. Depend on the person, I guess."

"That why you're going against the Flash so hard?" Averey asked. A tapping filled the car as she twiddled the pen between her fingers, the capped end hitting the paper.

"Apart from him tossing me like a rag doll, yeah." Eddie looked over at her, lifting an eyebrow before quickly putting his gaze back on the road. "You ever consider working for the police?" he asked, amusement filling his tone. "I think you'd be good at it considering I feel like I'm being interrogated right now."

"Nah, I'm more into the photo journalism," she said with a shake of her head. "There's just something about photography that's always attracted me to it. It captures only a moment in time, but everyone has an opinion or version to that moment."

"Which explains your blog."

"You've seen it?"

"Once or twice," he admitted. "Yours and Iris's are really the only two I follow I guess. Different topics but both are written well."

"Are you trying to get me to forget about my questions?" Averey asked. A suspicious tone was evident in her voice. Eddie caught the teasing smile on her face. "Because I still have some." Eddie motioned for her to continue. "How big do you think this gang is? You said you thought they were grooming me and I've read news articles about this group in Starling, and the other crimes linked to them."

"Unfortunately, it's hard to say," Eddie said with a sigh. "I only knew about what was happening in Keystone, and then I heard about the family in Starling…I don't know. That's what I'm worried about. It's hard to know who's in it, and who's just any other gang member. Not that either case is good."

"You don't have _any _ideas as to who you think could be in it?" she pressed, turning in her seat to face him. "No solid confirmations? Suspects? Anything?"

"That I can't tell you," Eddie replied, twisting his mouth to the side. "Are you sure you didn't see anything at Jitters when you were closing up? I get it; people can forget details of what they witnessed."

"There was no one there," Averey replied. "I filled the last order, cleaned, and went home." He used a hand to adjust the seat belt pushing into his chest. "Have you ever heard of a place called Belle Reve?"

"Ummm, let's see." Eddie tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel as he thought. "It's a sanitarium or something like that. A hospital where people go to recover after operations or to get treated for illnesses." He heard her make a humming sound before she wrote down his answer. Reaching Jitters, he pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car and popped his seat belt. As it retracted, she reached for the door and he stopped her with, "Are you in trouble?"

The younger girl settled back into her chair before she rolled her neck to look at him. "At this time I can honestly say I'm not," she replied, lifting a hand to tuck her hair behind her ears. "Although, if I am with you, you've got the desk side manner thing down pat."

Eddie clicked his tongue, chuckling before reaching for his wallet. His thumb dragged over the plastic siding of his credit and gift cards before grabbing the thing paper that was his business card. "If you ever are in trouble, or if there's anything you remember, or if you need someone to talk to," he asked of her, handing her a business card. "Call me, ok? I mean it."

"Kay," Averey replied, taking the card between her fingers. She looked down at the print on the card before sliding it into her pocket. "Thanks for the ride." She packed up her things before popping open the car door and climbed out before turning to face him. "By the way, would you relax before you do whatever it is you're going to do? You're fidgety, I've noticed."

Was he? The tapping fingers, adjusting his seat belt, clearing his throat. Yeah, he was being fidgety, but not for the reason she was probably thinking. Yes, all the questions about the Royal Flush Gang put him on edge, and it brought up his frustrations again to some extent, but thoughts of Iris always put butterflies in his stomach. Big, constantly flapping, butterflies. "I'm meeting Iris to ask her to move in with me," Eddie explained.

"Ohhh," Averey said, seeming to wince. Eddie stared at her and she adopted a bright look. "I mean, _oh_! That's great. Congrats." She gave him a thumbs up and Eddie continued to stare at her. "It's just…some people might not be too excited?"

Eddie climbed out of his car, a crunching sound hitting the air as his weight pressed down on the gravel under his feet. He was getting tired of this; the disapproving looks and words of wisdom. No one else was in his relationship except him and Iris. This is what he wanted. "I know Joe still isn't exactly thrilled about me dating his daughter," he said before slamming his car door shut, "but I really care about her. I think this is the right step for us."

"It's none of my business," Averey replied, putting her hands up defensively. "I just noticed, is all." She walked around the back of the car, muttering something that sounded like, "I notice a lot of things." Crossing her arms over her chest, she stepped up to him. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure," Eddie replied with a nod.

"What do you have against the Royal Flush Gang?" Averey asked.

"Let's just say they've threatened to take some things that are very important to me," Eddie replied. Averey gave a nod of her head, seeming satisfied with his answer, rocking back and forth on her heels before stepping by him, tossing a "see you later" and a "thanks" over her shoulder. "Yeah, bye."

Eddie turned on his heels and made his way along the path to the front of Jitters. He instantly caught sight of Iris sitting at their usual table, two cups of coffee sitting in front of her. A Santa hat lay beside the plate that held a half of a cronut. Before he knew it, he was inside the coffee shop and had Iris by the arms, pulling her into a standing position, kissing her.

"Whoa," Iris said with a pleased smile, surprise on her face. "What'd I do to deserve that kind of welcome?" She bowed her head in embarrassment just slightly, looking up at him through her bangs. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I've just been thinking about the place being robbed," Eddie explained, relaxing his grip on her arms as he guided for her to sit down."And about the guys who did it. That gang."

"Oh, Eddie," Iris said, her shoulders slumping just slightly. She reached out her hands and grasped his, squeezing them. "I know you've been after these guys for a while. I mean, after this place was robbed, you looked like a guy who had the biggest birthday cake put in front of him." She was silent for a moment, biting her bottom lip. "But, I think, maybe you should let someone else follow up on them."

"Iris, that's not what's important anymore," Eddie replied, shaking his head back and forth. "Yes, I was glad to hear I've got another shot at catching these guys, but when I saw you there…" He swallowed thickly. "I couldn't stop thinking that you could've been there that night, closing up. That they could've done something awful to you; pulled a weapon, held you at gunpoint, or something. And that scared me."

"But, I'm ok," Iris insisted. She lifted his hands to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. "I'm right here."

"I can't stop thinking that you could have been," Eddie explained, "and the thought of something happening to you scares me." He carefully removed his hands from hers and reached into his pocket for the box, removing it, but holding it under the table. "I know you worry about me all the time and whether or not I'm going to come home. But maybe if you knew, and if _I _knew, I was coming home to _you_, it'd make things a bit easier?" He set the box down onto the table, pushing it towards her. "So, I was hoping you'd want to move in with me."

Iris gasped, a look of disbelief crossing her face before it slowly morphed into happiness, tears coming to her eyes. She took the box with shaky fingers and lifted the lid, retrieving a key. "So…these are good tears?" Eddie asked to her silence. "You're kind of starting to scare me, Iris."

"Sorry," Iris managed to get out with a shuddering breath. "Um…" She put a hand over her heart, swallowing thickly, blinking rapidly. "Yes, it's good tears." Eddie let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in a rush of air. "Of course I'll move in with you. You just really surprised me."

"I don't know why, I mean, you practically spend all your time there anyway," Eddie said with a smile. His cheeks were already starting to hurt, he was smiling so wide. "We can start moving your things in right away. I mean, I'll have to clear out more room in my closet and in the coffee cabinet, but that's ok."

Iris laughed, shaking her head. "You're so…ugh," she said quietly. "You're something else." She used her hand to dab at her eyes. "This is kind of sudden."

" I just don't ever want to think that something could take you away from me," Eddie explained."Or someone." Iris gave him a smile before leaning across the table to kiss him.

"That's not going to happen." Iris settled back in her chair, a bright smile on her face. As Eddie took in her pleased smile, he could only hope that what she said was true.

* * *

Cisco watched, a wide grin on his face, as the Arrow and the Flash sparred, setting aside time to help Averey with her hand to hand combat skills at the abandoned Ferris air field. He never thought he'd get to see anything of this caliber when he was invited to work for STAR Labs. Then again, none of them could ever imagine their plans with the particle accelerator blowing up in their faces. Both literally and figuratively.

The whoosh of an arrow split through the air as a concealed crossbow was triggered. "Watch it!" Barry shouted before zipping over to Averey's side, grabbing her before hidden arrows hit her.

"Ok," she said, her voice carrying towards them, looking windswept as he set her down, a few feet away, "somehow I didn't see that coming."

Oliver chuckled, retrieving another arrow from his quiver. "Good," he replied with a smirk.

"I still can't believe _the _Oliver Queen is the Arrow. This is the coolest thing I think I've ever seen," Cisco said with a wide smile. He brought his thumb up to his mouth, chewing on his thumbnail. He glanced at the computer screen sitting on his lap, watching as the bars recording Barry's energy, monitoring his heart, and clocking his speed rose and fell with each instance of his powers being used. Felicity sat to his right, monitoring the Arrow, while Caitlin kept a close eye on Averey, to his left. "I mean, apart from everything we accomplished with the particle accelerator. That was pretty dope."

"Honestly, Cisco, I think our greatest accomplishment is the Flash, here," Dr. Wells replied in his quiet tone. Cisco grasped the sides of the laptop in his lap, ignoring Caitlin and Felicity's "don't touch the screen" as he turned to face his boss. His eyebrows lifted as he watched Dr. Wells carefully lower himself into his wheelchair, Diggle watching over him, from the pull-up bar attached to the doorway.

He gave Diggle a nod of thanks as he was passed a towel and wiped at the sweat from his forehead. "Our second greatest," he said between gasps of air, before nodding his head out towards the field, "could be Miss Moore."

"You haven't given her a name yet?" Felicity asked, rubbing the palms of her hands together, eyebrows lifted. "I've heard that's your calling card." She lifted her hand, curling her slender fingers into a fist and gently bumped Cisco's shoulder with it. "It's what you do."

"I'm working on it," Cisco replied, defensively. His vocal pitch lifted just slightly. "These things don't just happen overnight."

"Well, how about…Eagle Eye," Diggle suggested.

"Please, that was worse than Rainbow Raider," Cisco said with a snort.

"Rainbow Raider is a good name," Caitlin insisted. He didn't have to turn around to face her look of annoyance. He heard her let out a sigh. "Dr. Wells, please be careful."

Cisco watched as Dr. Wells bowed his head just slightly, letting out a sigh through his nose. "Dr. Snow," he said quietly before lifting his head to regard his colleague. Cisco clenched his teeth, pulling the corners of his lips downwards as he looked over at Caitlin. He got a wide-eyed look in return from his friend.

Dr. Wells wasn't one to really raise his voice at anyone, but when he did, it made everyone pay attention. From his experience, having Dr. Wells speak to you in a clear cut, quiet, and direct tone was even worse. It was worse than being yelled at by his mom. But if there was one thing that hasn't changed about Dr. Harrison Wells in all this time, it was that he never let anyone tell him there was something he couldn't do.

"I'm sure you know how important it is to keep up your strength and to regularly exercise. Physical therapy is important as you know."

"Yes, I do understand that," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. "But, I know how stubborn you can be, Dr. Wells, and I don't want you to hurt yourself just to prove a point."

"I assure you, I'm not doing anything more than what my doctor has suggested," Dr. Wells replied. "You know as well as I do how much I hate sitting around doing nothing." He paused when he got silence in response. He waved his hand towards the "That was a joke. Sheesh, I may have lost the ability to move my legs, but I haven't lost the ability to make a joke."

"Oliver could learn a thing from you," Diggle commented, shaking his head just slightly.

"Come on," Felicity said, making a face at her friend. "You know how Oliver is. And you're not that different from him, either. Once you both set your sights on something, there's no stopping you."

"A trait I'm glad Barry has as well," Dr. Wells commented, rubbing his chin with his fingers. His eyes narrowed just slightly and the corners of his lips lifted just slightly into a smile. "It gives him an edge, to be the best he can be. He can only do that by getting faster. If dodging arrows is the way to achieve that. Then so be it."

Cisco felt his eyes narrow just slightly as he watched Dr. Wells's face slowly shift into a smirk, a glint appearing in his eyes. Or maybe I was just the dim sun rays filtering through the clouds, bouncing off of the lens of his glasses. Nevertheless, he had seen that look a lot lately since Barry woke up from his coma. It was his famed determined look; almost as if he was keeping a secret. Maybe he was.

He quickly turned back to his computer when he heard a beeping sound and watched as Barry's heart rate increased significantly with his next burst of speed. Speed, quick healing, quick metabolism that would make even the biggest sumo wrestler jealous, Barry certainly was a super human. And he was a part of all of this. Whoever said he wouldn't get far in this desired field he _so _wanted to laugh in their faces right now. Of course, they'd probably be laughing because of the accident and everything, but with this, he was definitely getting the last laugh!

"Besides, if he wants to catch this, uh, Man in Yellow that made an appearance at Mercury Labs last night," Dr. Wells commented, "then this is the only way how."

There was a rush of wind, pulling a gasp of surprise from Felicity as their clothes and hair were ripped by their head, as Barry skidded to a stop in the middle of the field. Cisco brushed is hair from his face and watched as Barry lifted a hand to press his fingers against his earpiece. "_Wait. What?_" His voice cracked through the computer on Cisco's lap.

"Uhhhh," Cisco stalled. The familiar whirring of Dr. Well's wheelchair sounded as he carefully maneuvered it off the porch of the abandoned building, down a wooden board that served as a makeshift ramp and onto the uneven ground, making his way over to Barry. Oliver lowered the arrow he had ready to fire over at Barry and set it back in his quiver, lowering his hood.

"The Man in Yellow?" Barry repeated as he, Oliver, and Averey made their way over to the group watching them. "He's appeared again?"

"At, ow, Mercury Labs?" Averey asked, massing at a spot on her back. "Ow. Seriously?" She lifted her hands and carefully shifted her eyepiece up from her eyes, locking them onto the top of her head before dangling them around her neck.

"Man in Yellow?" Oliver repeated.

"He's the guy who…uh, murdered my mom," Barry explained, his voice suddenly gravelly. Oliver let out a soft "oh". Cisco heard Felicity gasp beside him. "I've been looking for him for a long time. Wai—He showed up at Mercury Labs? What would he need there?"

"Yeah, and why haven't we heard anything about this?" Cisco asked.

"Given some of the experiments we had been working on at STAR Labs, there are times where it's better that the general public don't know what we're up," Dr. Wells instantly replied, the words tumbling off his tongue. "Dr. McGee is well versed in these types of situations."

"So, what'd he want?" Barry asked, chest lifting and falling as he regained his breath control. "Did he take anything?"

"Nothing but two lives," Dr. Wells replied, hiking an eyebrow. Cisco felt his eyebrows lower in confusion as he looked over at his boss. It was almost as if he was joking, as if he was taking some sort of…pride was too harsh of a word. Dr. Wells had a dry sense of humor, but not _that_ dry. "One of the doctors there insisted he was looking for something. But there was no mistake; there was a guy there in yellow. And he moved fast."

"The security guards on the scene were killed instantly." Cisco closed his eyes, a grunting sound rumbling in the back of his throat. They probably didn't see what was coming. "Whiplash doesn't even begin to explain what their bodies went through and even more so I don't wish to get into it," Dr. Wells explained, folding his hands in his lap.

"I should've gone after him," Barry said quietly. He ran a hand over his face, shoulders slumping. "When I went to visit my dad…he was there. He was moving too fast for me to do anything, and he knew I couldn't because my dad was there. But he was, I don't know, playing with me. All he said was, 'it was nice to see you again' before he took off."

"It was only a matter of time, right?" Caitlin asked. "I mean, Averey did see him at the foundry."

"So there are _two _Flashes in Central City?" Diggle asked. "Felicity, you weren't kidding; this is the fun city."

"Right?" Felicity asked, pointing a manicured finger in the African American's direction. Her ponytail swung as she turned to face forward, her eyes widening when she realized everybody was staring at her. "I mean, running through the city? Pretty cool. Murder? Not so cool."

"Felicity," Oliver said with a sigh, tilting his head back towards the sky, scratching at his jaw.

"I'm just saying," Felicity replied, putting her hands up defensively.

"Why wouldn't Joe tell me?" Barry asked, shaking his head back and forth.

"He probably didn't want to worry you," Cisco said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I mean…it's a high profile case after all." He seemed to shrink in on himself when Barry gave him a pointed look. "Which you already know. Sorry."

"But, what would he need at Mercury Labs, though?" Averey asked.

"Something he couldn't get from STAR Labs," Dr. Wells replied. "Mercury Labs is at the top of our field and they're undoubtedly working on things we couldn't even begin to imagine." He removed his glasses from his face and rubbed at his eyes. "In fact, Dr. McGee has been trying to stay quiet on what exactly it is that they've accomplished in her most recent interviews. It's almost impressive; by staying quiet, giving little tidbits here and there, she's keeping all eyes on them. Just like she's always wanted; she has a bit of an ego, you see."

"She was nice when I met her," Averey said with a shrug and a small frown.

"Oh, yes, Christina is very nice," Dr. Wells explained, placing his glasses back on his nose. "But also very proud of her work. As she should be with what she's been able to accomplish, but her ego can be very off putting at times."

Cisco had to hold back a laugh that suddenly wanted to climb up his chest. That was funny. Dr. Wells was very intelligent, no one could disagree with that. He hated being wrong and above all, he hated to fail. In his time spent working for the prolific scientist, he had seen many different sides of Harrison Wells. One he saw often was how proud he was of his work and of his accomplishments. He could have an ego, too.

"I have reason to believe that she may be working with tachyon particles," Dr. Wells explained. "Particles capable moving faster than the speed of light."

"If they even exist," Felicity added, putting a finger in the air.

"Yes, of course," Dr. Wells said with a short laugh. "I assure you, Miss Smoak, they do."

"So these tic-tac things—"

"Tachyon particles," Caitlin instantly corrected her.

"Right," Averey said, giving her a nod of thanks. "It's bad if he gets them?"

"Immensely," Dr. Wells replied with a nod of his head.

"Barry can already move fast enough to break the sound barrier," Cisco explained, his fingers flying over his keyboard. After bringing up a chart, he turned his computer around to show everyone. Diggle stepped off of the porch to get a good look and let out a low whistle. "This yellow man can do just that, maybe even faster."

"If he gets those particles who knows what could happen," Caitlin said quietly. "What he could do."

"Which is precisely why Barry needs to do whatever he can to build up his speed," Dr. Wells replied with a smile, giving Barry a pointed look. Barry let out a sigh of annoyance, putting his hands on his hips.

"With all due respect, Dr. Wells," Oliver said, spinning his bow in his hand. He set the tip down into the dry earth, pressing down on the other end with the palm of his hand. "Speed isn't the only thing that will help Barry stop this guy if he doesn't know how to defend himself. This guy can just turn up anywhere at any time and he certainly knows how to inflict some damage. It'd help."

"I agree," Dr. Wells replied with a single nod of his head.

"But we have the guy now!" Barry cried. "I've seen him, Averey's seen him, and this doctor has seen him. People have to believe me now. We can get my dad out of jail."

"Barry, it's not that simple," Diggle said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Even Laurel could tell you that it wouldn't just resolve things as quickly…well as quickly as you can run. You were just a kid."

"I know!"

"Yeah, and I was seven, Barry," Averey explained, crossing her arms over her chest. She rocked back and forth on her heels. "My mum didn't even believe me, what makes you think anyone's going to believe me now?" Barry shook his head, walking in a slow circle. "We don't have any proof on this guy, just what two kids, and one guy says."

"But, it's _something_," he insisted.

"Vicious crimes like this and what happened to your mother, Barry, are hard to believe the first time, let alone years later," Dr. Wells explained. "Especially with these circumstances surrounding them. You were eleven, Averey was seven, this doctor was probably working for hours on end with little sleep and it all happened at night. Not everybody in the world has open minds about topics such as this."

"He's right, Barry," Felicity said quietly. "I think the best thing we can do is just…prepare."

"Well I say, after a day like this, I could use a drink," Cisco suggested, closing his computer. "Anyone else in? It's on me." He got various negative responses.

"I'll meet you there," Barry said with a sigh. "I want to talk to Joe first, maybe try and get this out of my head for now. I can't get drunk, but I could use the company."

"Wait. Really?" Diggle asked and Barry nodded, giving a quick explanation of his fast metabolism. "Man, that's rough."

"Good," Oliver said with a smile. "Rest up while you can." It was a smile filled with nothing but amusement and confidence, and promise but it never looked more scary in that moment to Cisco. Even to someone who wasn't one who had to face off against him. "Because tomorrow, we _really _start your training."

"Don't you have a city to protect?" Averey asked, massaging her shoulder. "Or an apple to shoot at?" Oliver laughed. Averey pursed her lips before turning towards Cisco. "Actually, mate, I think I'll take you up on your offer," she said, changing her mind. "Alcohol is Earth's natural painkiller, hey?"

/ / /

"I don't think she likes me."

Cisco blinked, quickly swallowing his mouthful of pale ale. The sound of the other patrons in the bar enjoying their time together, watching sports on the wall mounted TVs, and playing darts nearly drowned out her voice. "Who?" he asked. "Caitlin?"

"Mmmm-hmmm," Averey nodded her head, twisting her bottle of sparkling ale. "When I suggested her coming with us back at STAR Labs, she kind of quickly brushed me off to go gift shopping. And it' not the first time: I've invited her to other places, to get to know her better, but..." Her upper lip curled slightly as she turned on her bar stool to face him. "I've seen her face sometimes; kind of cool and distant." She lifted the bottle to her lips and took a long sip.

"That doesn't have to do with you, trust me," Cisco said, shaking his head. He used his free hand to brush his hair behind his ear. "She and Ronnie loved Christmas, that's all. It was his favorite holiday and with the accident happening so close to that day…" He trailed off, shrugging.

"Ohhhh."

He had noticed a shift in Caitlin's demeanor over the past few days. Weeks even. She seemed a bit more closed off but at the same time, she was more aware of everyone's welfare and wellbeing. As a biomedical engineer, it wasn't too far off from just doing her job but it felt different. Caitlin looked like she wanted to be by herself and surrounded by people all at the same time. But there was one person she knew she wasn't going to get the chance to see again.

"She likes you, trust me," Cisco insisted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "How could anyone not?"

"Because I'm opinionated, sarcastic, and I'm known to talk back and do what I want," Averey suggested, lifting an eyebrow. She and Cisco shared a laugh. "It's bound to get on people's nerves every once in a while. Gotten me in some trouble."

"Like when you got arrested?" Cisco asked.

"That was just a bad choice in friends," Averey replied, twisting her mouth to the side. "Or being naïve. I was still getting used to American customs, I still _am_." She set her bottle down onto her coaster. "Take tipping for example."

"Ok." Cisco nodded, setting his hand on his knee.

"Why do you tip?" she asked. "I feel like it's like they're trying to rip you off with more money."

"Workers don't get paid enough to not live off tips," Cisco replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Why don't they just pay employees better so they're not living off of tips?" Averey asked. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "Minimum wage back home is $16.88. I nearly got chased down the street by a server the first time I ate in a restaurant here. I thought they were going to club me with their tray."

"Better than sparring against the Arrow, right?" Cisco asked. "Or being pricked, prodded, and probed by us at STAR Labs."

"No, no, being thrown around like a rag doll by a man in tight clothing is a dream of mine," Averey replied with a smirk. "Besides, being a lab rat at STAR Labs is better than figuring this out on my own. Especially now, with everything…" She lifted her bottle of ale into the air, tilting it towards him, "I really appreciate the company."

"Cheers," Cisco said, tapping the side of his bottle against hers. He took a sip of his drink and swallowed before pulling his upper lip into his mouth.

"Just as long as you guys don't need to cut my head open or something like that to figure out what's going on with me," Averey said, pointing a warning finger in his direction.

"Eh," Cisco shrugged, a thoughtful look on his face. "Well, I'd probably help me understand girls better."

"You're cute," Averey replied around her laughter.

Cisco felt himself burn up. "Can I ask you something?" he asked and Averey waved a hand in the air, nodding. "What brought you to Central City?"

Averey paused for a moment, her fingernails clicking on the side of the bottle in her hand. "I'm looking for my biological dad," Averey replied. "It's what brought me overseas in the first place. Figured I'd sight see for my blog to get some new content up, kind of like a traveler's guide."

"Averey's Adventures," Cisco said and Averey gave a nod of her head. "I like it. Between you and me, I kind of looked through your Facebook when you were knocked out." He put his hands up defensively. "It was just to get to know you. I did the same when Barry was in his coma."

"Well, since you did it for Barry, too," Averey said with a roll of her eyes, a smile of amusement on her face. "If you wanted to get to know me, all you had to do was ask."

"Ok," Cisco said with a nod. "I'll keep that in mind." He paused. "So…have you found him? Your dad?"

"Yeah…but I almost chickened out when I first went to see him," Averey replied, slowly nodding her head. "And I'm kind of too scared to go back." She clicked her tongue, letting out a short laugh. "For a long time, all I wanted was to find him, but now I don't even know what to say to him. I thought I was mad but…I don't know how I feel about him."

"You know, for someone who's into photography, I don't think you really look at the big picture," Cisco mused aloud, tapping the opening of his beer bottle against his bottom lip. Averey gave him a confused look. "The smallest detail makes a huge difference."

"An engineer is telling me about photography?" Averey asked, her eyebrows lifting. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "That came out mean, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Cisco replied before giving a shrug. "I just don't think it's that much different. In science, or photography, the smallest detail makes a huge difference. Maybe with your dad you should just focus on one small thing at a time; learn something about him, and he can learn something about you. Don't look at him as your dad, if you can, but someone you're getting to know." He tilted his head back just slightly. "And, if you need backup, I'll go with you."

"Thanks for the offer." Averey pushed her bottle back and forth between her hands. "But, I don't think I need it right now. But, thank you."

Cisco shrugged. "I'm not just a science nerd," he replied.

"Good, because I think science is actually really boring," Averey quickly replied before downing the rest of her beer.

Cisco let out a loud, mocking gasp. "Say what?" Averey swallowed before lifting a hand to get the bartender's attention. "Oh, no you didn't!"

Averey stuck her tongue out at him. "So you make all the gadgets and stuff at STAR Labs, you made Barry's suit, and you name all the metahumans," she explained and Cisco nodded. "So, what's my name? You haven't given me one yet."

"How's…Visionary?" he asked. Averey blinked. "If you don't like it, I can come up with something else. Or…" He watched as Averey slowly nodded, tilting her head just slightly to the side.

"Sweet as," she said, her nose wrinkling as she smiled wider. "I like it."

"Great." Cisco smiled. As a rush of wind rushed over his skin as Barry appeared at his side, his pressed his lips together, closing his eyes as his hair was whipped around his head. He tightly grasped his bottle of ale to stop it from knocking over. "Hey, Barry." He adjusted his clothes and smoothed down his hair.

"Heyyy," Barry said with a sigh, dropping heavily down onto the stool next to Cisco. He nodded in response to Averey's greeting. "It's times like these where I really wish I could get drunk." He ran a hand over his face. "After talking with Joe, I went and told Iris how I felt."

"What?!" Cisco asked, whipping his head towards his friend.

"Now wonder you look like you're wound up tighter than the muscles in the hind legs of a kangaroo," Averey commented, setting her bottle down onto the counter with a loud _thump. _She put a hand to her chest, swallowing thickly. "Well? How'd it go?"

"Before or after she told me she was moving in with Eddie?" Barry asked.

"Ooooh," Cisco winced and Barry nodded his head. "I mean…that's great for her, but…I'm sorry, Barry."

Barry let out a sigh through his nose. "I'm happy for her," he insisted, "for them. It kind of sucks but…I don't know, I just wanted her to know." He gave a fleeting smile. "I don't think I ever really realized how far along their relationship was, you know? With my powers, and this man in yellow, and my dad, it just wasn't something on my radar. It just kind of sucks."

"I know the feeling," Cisco said, patting Barry on the shoulder. "Sorry, man."

"Well, next round's on me," Barry said as the bartender came over to him. He gave his order and turned towards his friends. "Pale ale and a—"

"Sparkling ale," Averey filled in for Barry. "Can't tell you how many times I've had people order me Fosters. No one drinks that." She shook her head. "Oh, and we don't ride kangaroos to school, either."

Cisco snapped his fingers. "That was my next question, too," he declared, earning a laugh from the two metahumans. "You two laugh alike."

"At least you don't get all high pitched, sounding like a mouse," Averey said before tilting her head back, knocking back the rest of her previous drink. She loudly swallowed as she set the bottle down onto the table.

"Please!" Barry protested, "I sound like an old man when I laugh."

Cisco snorted before bursting out into a fit of loud laughter, which caused Barry and Averey to join in. They barely managed to thank the bartender for their next round. As he lifted his drink to his mouth, Barry and Averey suddenly turned in their seats, all traces of laughter gone. "What's up?" he asked, lowering his bottle from his lips. He turned around, looking around the bar.

"Thought I saw something," Averey muttered, her eyes darting from person to person.

"Yeah," Barry agreed. "Me too."

* * *

**A/N: **And there's a long chapter for you all. I've changed the summary to this story a bit. You can read the full summary inside the fic, in the first chapter.

_Guest:_ I'm glad you liked the scene with Reverse Flash. Thanks for reading.

_Kelly: _Here's your update! Thanks for reading and I hope the wait was worth it for this chapter.


	16. You're Not a Soldier

**-Chapter Sixteen-**

**"You're Not a Soldier"**

Caitlin's heels clacked on the flooring of STAR Labs as she hiked her purse up her arm, making her way into the center of the laboratory. She let out a sigh, shaking her hair out of her face to greet what was going to come that day head on. She knew life in the field of science brought new experiences every day, but nothing like this.

As she came to a fork in the curved hall, she slowed to a stop, like she did every morning. Glancing down into the darkened hallway, she felt herself habitually tilt her head to the side just slightly, offering her cheek to Ronnie Raymond—if he were still walking beside her.

After a quick peck on the cheek, his dark eyes would flicker with love and excitement for another day at work. "I'll see you later, babe?" he would asked. And she would always reach out to give his hand a squeeze and reply, "Of course," before making her way to the cortex where she was needed. Only now, it was different.

There was no kiss.

There was no smile.

While she did her best to think about Ronnie and the moment they shared together inside and outside of STAR Labs, it was all so different now. She still had some comfort in having Cisco and Dr. Wells around, but everyone else was gone. She was no longer working on the particle accelerator, but helping find and capture metahumans with less than good intentions. She was working on keeping Barry Allen and Averey Moore first and foremost safe so they could keep Central City as a whole safe. She knew in her field she'd be doing extraordinary things, and it felt great to be working with her fiancé, but no one ever said this would happen. Her work gave her everything and it had also taken away that much.

Or so she thought.

She could still see the bright flickering light behind her eyelids as flames burst around the arms of the tall, lanky, and grimy man that stood before her outside of the Central City Mall. Despite having always seen Ronnie with short, well styled hair, and seeing this man with long, stringy locks, she would recognize his face anywhere. And yet…it couldn't be him. Sure, his body was never found in the clearing of the destruction of STAR Labs, but there was no way he could've survived something like that.

_Caitlin, Caitlin, Caitlin. _She shook her head, briefly closing her eyes. _No one ever survives being struck by lighting and gaining powers but Barry did. No one has ever gained photographic memory from a camera before, but Averey did._ She let out a soft sigh, clicking her tongue. "If it's what you saw," she insisted to herself, making her way farther into STAR Labs, "it's what you saw."

And what she saw next, made her let out a long groan, tilting her head backwards to gaze up at the ceiling. "I really wish you wouldn't do that when you're here by yourself," she said to Dr. Wells, watching him curl upwards as if doing a crunch, slowly pulled his right leg back towards his chest. He was lying on a mat on the floor, a sweat soaked shirt sticking to his torso. "Haven't we already been over this?"

She had always known Dr. Wells to be a stubborn man, but sometimes it just got to be too much. Caitlin couldn't fault him though: if something as drastic as losing mobility in the legs had happened to her, she'd probably still try and do things on her own, too. She was trying to do things on her own. She had lost a significant part of her.

As Caitlin peered down at the man as he carefully set his leg down, she thought maybe they weren't too different. "At least let me help you," she offered, setting her bag down in the chair nearest her.

"I assure you, I'm fine," Dr. Wells said, removing his glasses from his face before using his hand to wipe at the sweat collecting under his nose pads and behind his ears. "Light exercise will do me good. Sound body. Sound mind."

"I know you, Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd be the last one to admit if something was wrong."

A look Caitlin couldn't quite decipher appeared on Dr. Well's face. It almost looked like he wanted to laugh, agree with her, and deny her claim all at the same time. He fixed her with his intense gaze and she felt an odd rush of…something roll up her spine. He certainly was a good looking man, she could admit, but it had been a long time since anyone, let alone Ronnie, had made her react that way to just a look.

"That's true," Dr. Wells replied after a moment of silence before he put his glasses back on. "And I could use some help, if you would be so kind, for my last few exercises. I will be the first to admit to you that some of these exercises I do need help with."

"Ok," Caitlin said, hesitating for a moment. She removed her feet from her heels before carefully lowering herself onto the floor beside him, tucking her legs beneath her. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just rotate my ankles, that's all," Dr. Wells explained. He squeezed his eyes shut as he slowly pulled himself up into a seated position, his leg splayed out in front of him. Caitlin's eyes shifted towards the bumps of his abdominal muscles before quickly setting them onto her boss's show covered feet. "And then kind of push them upwards me."

"To prevent drop foot," Caitlin said for him, grasping his foot firmly in her hands. It had only been a year, but Caitlin was sure the effects of the immobility in his legs would start to be noticeable soon. Without proper exercises something as small as the way Dr. Wells held his foot could be altered as the muscles weakened over time. Constantly being in a wheel chair did slightly impede the condition, however.

"As usual, Dr. Snow, you are an astute person," Dr. Wells replied.

"Caitlin," Caitlin corrected him. She slowly rotated his foot in a circle before looking up at Dr. Well's curious gaze. "I've been working for you for a while and we've been through so much together. You can call me Caitlin." She twisted her mouth to the side. "Besides, you call Cisco by his first name."

"Cisco's not a doctor," Dr. Wells replied almost instantly. "And with all due respect to _Mr. Ramon_." Caitlin laughed through her nose at the emphasis he purposefully put on their colleague's name. "With his passion for life, I don't see a future of him studying for a PhD. No…he has much different accomplishes coming his way. It's why I hired him; he has the intelligence I was surprised to find in someone as young as him."

"What about Hartley?" Caitlin asked, carefully pushing her boss's foot up towards him in a slow stretch. "He was pretty…remarkable." _And full of himself. _

She could barely stand being around the guy as he often acted like he was the only one in the building that had any idea as to what he was talking about. He tried to be _the _person Dr. Wells would go to no matter what the problem and in turn he'd do his best to one-up everyone. Caitlin couldn't deny that Hartley Rathaway knew his stuff, but they were all a team and not one person was better than another.

"Indeed he was," Dr. Wells admitted, blinking once. "Hartley knew what kind of future he could have with his intelligence." The corners of his lips pulled down just slightly. "Sometimes I think I should've listened to him more."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked. She watched as he seemed to start and stop, a small noise coming from his throat. He let out as sigh through his nose.

"He had a hard home life," Dr. Wells explained. "It was evident he viewed his work and his place here like home." Caitlin chewed on her bottom lip. If that were true, she must've been the annoying older sister to him. Hartley had so much going for him, his sudden departure from STAR Labs was a shock to everyone, but Dr. Wells had never really given an explanation for it. Maybe she had a part in it? "You did nothing wrong, I can assure you."

"How did…?" Caitlin's words died on her lips.

"The same way I can tell that something has been bothering you for the past few days," Dr. Wells replied. Caitlin didn't answer, but moved to his next foot, starting to rotate his ankle. "I know how much you and Ronnie loved this time of year."

And then she was back in the cold, dark parking garage, staring at the man who could light himself on fire. Or, The Burning Man, as Iris called him on her blog. There weren't a lot of articles on him, not like the Flash, but it was enough. It had to be Ronnie. Even through all of the flames that covered his body, she knew what she saw. His eyes were ablaze with anguish and longing, not the adoration and excitement she was used to seeing; but she had looked into his dark eyes enough times. She just knew. Just like she just knew that Ronnie Raymond was the one for her.

"You loved it, too," Caitlin reminded him. "Remember, you even amused Cisco's idea to make a device that would string up Christmas lights around this place by itself."

Dr. Wells reached out a hand and gently grasped her wrist. Caitlin stopped what she was doing and gazed up at him. He was staring so intensely at her that she could only hold his gaze for so long. "We have a lot to be thankful for this year," he said quietly. "We really do. If it wasn't for Ronnie…"

"I know," Caitlin said quietly. If it wasn't for Ronnie, they wouldn't be sitting here right now. The whole city would've been blown off the map. On the other hand, they also wouldn't have a prison of metahumans a few floors below them, or be working nonstop to get Central City back on their sides to get their good names back. She jumped when she heard a distant crash. "What was that?"

"Training," Dr. Wells replied as he removed his hand from her arm. "Oliver says he can increase Barry's speed and help Averey. That's what's most important."

"And why wasn't I notified of this?" Caitlin asked. "I should've been called. I could've come in early."

"Cisco's noticed you haven't been yourself as well," Dr. Wells replied and Caitlin sighed. "He just wanted to give you some time free of stress."

"Well, I appreciate that," Caitlin said, getting to her feet. After brushing off the hem of her dress, she retrieved Dr. Wells's abandoned wheelchair pushing it towards him. "But, I can still help." She offered her hands towards Dr. Wells and he slid his bigger hands into hers. Caitlin gave a mighty tug and lifted him to his feet before carefully guiding him into a seated position in his wheelchair. "It's been a hard year, but, I'm doing better."

Dr. Wells gently squeezed her hands, giving her a soft smile. "I'm glad to hear it, Caitlin," he said as he wrapped his fingers around the control stick of his wheelchair. "Really, I am. If anyone deserves a bright future, it's you." As Caitlin quickly slipped on her shoes to hurry after him, she couldn't help but laugh lightly when she heard him say over his shoulder, "Considering the nomenclature of this laboratory, pun intended."

As the two scientists made their way through STAR Labs, cheering, mechanical beeps, and the sound of Oliver, Barry, and Averey's noisy exhales as they sparred. Caitlin rounded the corner and gasped as she watched Averey go flying through the air, crashing into a wall of boxes, packing peanuts flying through the air.

"Ohhh," Cisco winced, despite the smile on his face. "That was the biggest one yet."

"I told you those boxes would work as a good cushion," Diggle replied, gently hitting Cisco on the shoulder with his fist. "It's a good thing you have a lot of them lying around." His eyes widened just slightly as he sucked in a breath of air. "Ooooh. I mean—"

"It's ok," Cisco replied, waving his hand in the air, the smile still on his face. "That was better than when Barry tried to run on the cosmic treadmill backwards."

"Only Averey can't heal as fast as Barry," Felicity pointed out. Her fingernail made a tapping sound as she scrolled through charts on the tablet in her hands.

"Neither can Oliver," Diggle pointed out.

"The guy's built like a brick wall," Cisco said with a scoff, "I doubt he even feels anything."

"If you ask me, he feels fine," Felicity commented. Her head shot up and a light blush tinged her cheeks. "Not that I'd know what he feels. Or feels like." She briefly closed her eyes as Barry zipped through the room, the wind swirling around the small space, pulling her hair across her face. She cleared her throat, going back to what she was doing. "You know what I mean."

"Averey, are you ok?" Caitlin called over to the fallen girl as she pulled herself out of the collapsed boxes. Her hair was disheveled and packing peanuts stuck to her face.

"Pah!" Averey spat the Styrofoam pellets away from her lips before lifting her hands to lift the white visor from covering her eyes. Oliver stepped over to her, offering her his gloves hand. "Yeah, yeah." She grabbed his hand and climbed out of the boxes. "Yeahhh, I'm firm." Her eyes widened at her slip up and she quickly pulled her hand back. "_Fine_! Fine! I'm fine!" She then added sarcastically, "Being thrown around like a rag doll by a man in tight clothing is a dream of mine."

"No one's making you stay here," Dr. Wells commented, maneuvering his way to the front of the group of spectators, instantly gaining everyone's attention. Averey pressed her lips together seeming to shrink in on herself. "You weren't drafted into this. You're not a soldier. You said you wanted answers regarding your condition, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Averey replied, nodding her head repeatedly.

Caitlin gave her a sympathetic smile. She had been on the receiving end of Dr. Wells's anger on rare few occasions. It made her want to want to work harder to be the best worker she could be for STAR Labs. Plus, she hated being yelled at. Even if she ever fought with Ronnie, their arguments never lasted that long, and they would be laughing a short while later.

"We talk things out here; we come up with decisions together," Dr. Wells continued, his vocal tone getting more tense. "In turn, you agreed to help us understand what the dark matter has done to your biological makeup. If that's not something you wish to be a part of anymore, Ms. Moore, you can leave at any time." Caitlin watched as his grip tightened on the arm rests of his wheel chair. "But, I can assure you, no other place is as equipped as STAR Labs to help you. The day you came here you wanted your questions answered which we have been _spending our time trying to do_. The gaps in your memory may be a lasting affect that could and _will_ greatly alter the rest of your life in ways you couldn't even begin to imagine."

The silence rang around the enclosed space as Dr. Wells. "Dr. Wells," Caitlin said quietly, feeing her shoulders slump. It was a tough time for everyone, she knew how much he enjoyed the holiday season as well, but that didn't mean he had to take it out on everyone else. In this moment of time, she'd rather prefer his silent, loner attitude.

"This may be a joke to you, but it's our livelihood on the line," Dr. Wells continued, briefly glancing over at Caitlin. "It's our futures. This goes for you, too, Barry." Barry blinked, his eyebrows lifting. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded his head. "We need to improve on your abilities as best as we can. So you need to decide now if _you're going to stay or if we're wasting our time_."

"Yes, sir," Averey said, resembling a bobble head with her rapid head nodding. "Sorry."

"Not as sorry as I am," Dr. Wells muttered before turning his wheelchair around, disappearing down the hall he had come from.

"Maybe…we should take a break?" Felicity asked quietly.

"No," Averey instantly replied, her jaw jutting forward. She shook out her arms before facing Oliver and Barry, holding her fists up by her face, sinking into a fighting stance. "Let's keep going."

"You sure?" Oliver asked, using his forearm to wipe the sweat from his forehead. She nodded her head. Oliver exchanged glances with Barry, who shrugged his shoulders. He lifted the hood to his suit over his head. "Ok." His voice was suddenly a deeper growl. A half smile came to his face. "If that's the way you want it."

Caitlin let out a sigh through her nose, rubbing at her arms. "You ok?" She didn't acknowledge Cisco at first, debating on giving a tight-lipped smile—one she had plenty of time to master—and an "I'm fine." But, she had known him too long, their friendship was too important for to her lie to him.

"I saw Ronnie."

* * *

"The next time you ask me to run surveillance for you, I'm going to make sure you mean _indoors_."

Barry laughed to himself as he watched a puff of her breath float into the air. She moved her head very slowly from side to side, as she took in the view of Central City below them. Barry pulled his coat tighter around him before lifting his Jitters to go cup of hot chocolate to his mouth.

"I didn't want to get Cisco or Caitlin involved," Barry replied after he swallowed. "Not right now." His shoes crunched as he stepped over the rooftop, closer to the railed edge. Averey sat with her legs dangling over the side, arms resting on the metal bar. "Besides, you're the only person who can give me the bird's eye view of Central City that I need."

"Those vision jokes are getting old really fast, mate," Averey said, deadpan. Despite her annoyance, she chuckled. She reached for the cup beside her and took a long sip, tilting her head back. "Ahhhh. Warmth."

Barry lowered himself into a crouched position and stuck his long legs out over the side of the building. He pulled his scarf tighter around his neck before adopting her position; resting his arms on the metal safety railing. He had always thought Central City was a beautiful place to live but from this high up, with all of the lights glimmering below, it truly was a sight to see.

"So how far can you see, exactly?" he asked.

Averey pointed a finger out across the city, indicating to something. "You see that tall building over there that says _Keystone First National Bank_?" she asked.

"No," Barry replied. He shook his head from side to side, looking across the river to the city lights of Keystone. "You can really see that far?"

"Yeah," Averey replied. "As if it's just sitting right here. I'm not sure how much of a zoom that is photography wise though. Haven't really thought about it that way funnily enough."

"What made you get into photography, anyway?" Barry asked.

"After mum decided she wasn't going to believe me about seeing the Man in Yellow, I wanted to prove to her that I was telling the truth," Averey replied. She started tapping her hands on the metal railing, the sound muffled by her gloves. "Pictures and images can be taken out of context, things can be cut out, and it can be photo-shopped and all that, especially on digital cameras, but when it comes down to it, you can't fake what's captured in a photo." Barry watched as she shifted her seated position. "Since then, I guess I've been trying to capture the truth in my pictures."

If only someone else was there the night he had seen the Man in Yellow. He moved too fast for anyone to see him, or even to get him on picture, but maybe his dad wouldn't be in jail right now. No one could explain what happened that night. The scene was a dead woman with her husband the only one in the house covered in blood. That was that.

Averey lifted her arm, extending it all the way before holding up her hand, her palm facing her. "Two blocks down from there is the photography studio I worked at. And over in that direction is the store I was arrested at."

"Mmmm." Barry didn't know what to say about that. It was enough for him to know one person in jail, and he'd been around them enough growing up, but to know someone else? And to have that person also know Eddie Thawne, too? He didn't know if he believed in coincidences or if things happened for a reason. Not anymore. He was just focused on what was presented to him day in and day out. "What was that like? Being arrested?

"Long. Lonely," Averey replied, her eyebrows lifting. She started to slowly, _very _slowly shift her head to the left. "The time it took to be booked, finger printed, and have my mug shot taken took a while. I was held for a day before being released with a court date. It was quiet, really. You have a lot of time to think, that's for sure." She sniffed against the cold air. "Why?"

"All these years, and all these years working with the CCPD, I don't think I ever stopped to think about how it was for my dad," Barry replied with a shake of his head. He reached into his pocket and removed the gloves to his Flash suit, pulling them over his hands. "Or how it has been for him. I visit him and just tell him about what's going on out here, but I don't ever really think about what he's going through."

"Come on, Barry." Barry looked over at the Australian girl, the city reflecting off of her veyesor. "Do you reckon your dad would _want you _to dwell on it?" Barry shook his head instead of answering. He knew his dad wouldn't, but he couldn't help it. Everything he was doing was to try and find the Man in Yellow. Even freezing his butt off on the top of a building. "You're not really wearing your Flash suit under that are you?"

"Just the gloves," Barry replied, stretching and curling his fingers. "After my run in with Snart, Cisco modified the suit to resist the cold." He shivered as a breeze blew. He started quickly vibrating his muscles, inducing his shivering to try and increase his warmth. "Maybe I should've worn the suit."

"I wonder when I'll get my suit."Averey turned her gaze away from the city below and shifted the veyesor up onto the top of her head, pressing down on the ear pieces to keep them in place. "Maybe Cisco could add in extra padding because _some of us_ can't heal in seconds. Oh! Cisco game me my metahuman name, though: Visionary."

Barry grinned, turning his head away to stop himself from laughing out loud. If Bette Sans Souci was anything to go by, Cisco was never really one to hide his feelings for women he was attracted to. He wasn't _too _sure about the engineer's feelings about the new metahuman, but if that name was anything to go by…

"I don't know if I can do this, Barry."

Averey said it so quietly, Barry almost missed it. "What do you mean?" he asked, turning to face her. He watched as she lifted the band to her veyesor, squinting just slightly as her eyes adjusted to the natural light. She pressed her hands over the ear pieces to secure them. Her eyes were filled with worry. "Being a metahuman? You don't really have a choice in that."

"Being a hero," Averey replied. "Keeping Central City safe. Trying to find this murderer." She was quiet for a moment. "I don't feel like I'm doing anything right, especially around Dr. Wells. I'm scared, Barry." She let out a dry laugh. "I mean, a bus ride from Keystone to Central City doesn't take a long time, but I rode around for hours before building up the courage to actually come."

"He's…intense, I'll agree," Barry said, bobbing his head back and forth, "but he just wants to help. You have every right to be scared. I am, too. But, were doing so much for them and the city." He lifted a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I've got your back. We all do. Joe does, too."

"You know the CCPD task force is after you," Averey said to him.

"They'd have to catch me first," Barry replied. He loudly sniffed, wiping his nose on his coat sleeve. "I don't think they can reach me all the way up here, anyway." Averey laughed. He lifted his arm and pointed to his left. "I think I prefer the view from my office though. I have a lab at the top of the police station."

"You've got a high rise," Averey said. He could hear the teasing tone in her voice. "Your dad would be proud." Barry let out a short laugh, his breath coming out in a puff. "Barry, I need to tell you something."

"What's that?" Barry asked, turning his head to face her.

"It's about your dad," Averey replied. She turned, pulling her legs up from the side of the building to face him and twisted her fingers in her lap. Barry swallowed, waiting for her to speak. "Umm." Lifting her head, she locked gazes with him before she shifted them past his head. Barry watched as her eyebrows knitted together. Her pupils slowly grew in size and she suddenly grabbed his arm. "I see him."

"Where?" Barry whipped his head around, looking out over the city.

"Near the CCPD, he's just standing there," Averey explained in a hushed voice, as if worried the wind would carry their voices over to him. "Watching us. Go, Barry. Run!"

Barry took off, rushing down the many flights of stairs to the building before rushing through traffic. The cold air rushed past his face, stinging his cheeks and drawing tears to his eyes. Finally, he was getting the chance to get his _own _answers.

* * *

Averey stomped stepped up onto the West porch, reaching out her hand and ringing the door bell. She pressed her cell phone to her ear with the help of her shoulder, holding the box under her other arm against her hip. "No, nothing's wrong, mum, I just called to see how you and Daniel are doing and to wish you a Happy Christmas," Averey explained with as cheerful a tone as she could manage. _Yeah, because having both Barry and Dr. Wells beaten by the Man in Yellow means things are going well_.

Things had quickly gone downhill since Barry had left her on the rooftop to chase after the man. Walking back to her empty apartment gave her enough time to be one part relieved, and two parts guilty that he left without giving her a chance to explain their relation through Henry Allen. It at least gave her more time to think up how she was going to explain everything. At least that was until she had gotten word that Dr. Wells was injured and what had gone on at STAR Labs.

After hearing the details of what had happened, she was a little…disappointed at first that she wasn't a part of the operation. On the other hand, she _had _told Barry that she was scared and Dr. Wells probably now had some reservations about her being a part of the team. Unlike the Royal Flush Gang who was pulling her into whatever it was they wanted. A simple text from Casey. _Happy Holidays, 8 ;)_, made her stomach drop. Never before had a simple emoticon seemed so sinister.

But, it was her deciding factor. When it came down to it, Averey was more scared of what the Royal Flush Gang could do than working for STAR Labs. Her good work could hopefully, maybe, balance out whatever it was that she could potentially be forced to do in the gang.

"You sound off," Ellie replied in the suspicious tone only a mother could speak and still have her tone sound warm and inviting. If Averey was at home, her mom would usher her to her room for some girl talk. She'd sit in the middle of the king sized bed she'd share with her husband and pat the bed spread, inviting her to join. The small space behind her belly button ached as a wave of homesickness cashed over her. "Is everything ok, sweetie?"

"I just miss being home, that's all," Averey replied. That was partly the truth. "I miss you guys. Oh! I got your box of Christmas Crackers. Cheers."

"I thought you could share them with your friends," Ellie explained. "We miss you, too. It's too quiet without you here, Ave."

_That's good. Quiet is good_, Averey reassured herself. She reached out a hand and rang the door bell a second time. "Nothing's been going on at home?" she asked. She just had to be sure. "At all? Everything's ok?"

"Just working through the day," Ellie replied. Averey could imagine her waving her hand in the air, brushing away her worries. Like usual. "Daniel and I are going to have a nice dinner out tonight. We'll have some fairy bread in your honor." Averey heard herself let out a small whine. Butter, sprinkles (as they called it in America, and bread wasn't the healthiest snack, but it was a childhood treat she grew to have on special occasions the older she got. Her mom let out her light laugh. "Everything's ok, Ave. We've just been waiting to hear from you."

Averey let out a breath of air. "Ok, mum," she replied. "I have to go; I'm at a mate's house for a party. You remember I told you about Iris? Bye. Love you, too." She hung up the phone as hearing the thudding of footsteps heading towards the door and slipped her phone into her pocket as it was pulled open. "Hi, Joe."

"Hi, sorry," Joe said, stepping to the side, waving her in with his free hand. He held a mug in his other one. "I couldn't hear you from the kitchen." With the Christmas music playing, which nearly slapped her in the face as she stepped into the house, and the loud voices, she wasn't surprised. "What do you have there?"

"Oh." Averey turned towards him after greeting everyone in the room. She set the box down on the ground and removed her gloves, shoving them into her coat pockets. "Christmas crackers. Oh, and tim tams. It was kind of short notice; I didn't have time to get any gifts."

"That's alright," Iris said with a bright smile as she stepped over Eddie's legs to reach her side. "Let me take your coat. Thanks for coming." Averey shrugged off her jacket and scarf, handing it to her friend.

"Thanks for having me," she replied. "Or, rather, thanks to Barry for inviting me."

"We have Grandma Esther's eggnog, punch, and hot chocolate in the kitchen," Joe explained, the floorboards creaking under the carpet as he crossed the room. "The snacks are being cooked in the oven right now. Make yourself at home."

"Cheers," Averey replied with a smile before gently grasping Iris's arm, stopping her from heading up the stairs. She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Iris; I saw _him _again." Iris's eyes widened.

"Today?" she asked, folding Averey's jacket in her arms. "Where?"

"Across the street from the CCPD," Averey replied. "He was on the roof top of the building."

"Ok," Iris said, slowly nodding her head. "Ok, I'll um, run upstairs and add this to my notes." She nodded her head to their guests. "We can talk more about this later, ok?" Averey nodded her head and Iris gently squeezed her wrist before hurrying up the stairs.

"Happy Christmas, everyone," Averey called with a bright smile. She clapped her hands together as she got a chorus of greeting in response. "I have a gift for everyone." She spotted Oliver, Felicity, and Diggle sitting closer to the window in the living room. "Dr. Wells didn't want to come?"

"Oh," Caitlin quietly spoke up from where she was perched on the couch. She uncrossed her leg and got to her feet. "He just wanted to be alone." She gave Averey a small smile. "But, he sends his good wishes. Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, please." Averey followed her into the dining room where the Christmas themed plastic covered table sat with two large punch bowls. She reached for the ladle of eggnog and Caitlin grabbed her arm.

"Be careful with that," she warned. "Its 'famous' for a reason. It's got bourbon in it."

"Guaranteed to put you in the Christmas mood," Cisco said with a grin as he walked out of the kitchen with a tray of Christmas cookies in his hands. He set the tray down onto the table and laced his fingers together before nodding his head towards the kitchen. "I've got a Christmas gift for you, Ave."

"Really?" Averey asked. She looked over at Caitlin, who lifted her cup of eggnog to her mouth. Her eyes twinkled mysteriously, eyebrows twitching upwards before she moved to reclaim her spot on the couch. "What is it?"

"Open it to find out," Cisco replied, reaching for the box that sat atop of the microwave. It was white and wrapped with a red bow.

Averey took it in her hands and set it down on the island. She removed the bow and lifted the lid, a bright smile coming to her face s she spotted the pink trimmed black suit folded in the box. It sat on top of a pair of matching boots with gloves sitting on top of that. "Wow," she said as she lifted the suit out of the box. A gleam of light caught her eye and she looked down into the bottom of the box and spotted a sleek, metal boomerang sitting at the bottom. "What's this?"

"Your weapon," Cisco replied, keeping his voice low, looking over his shoulder to make sure Eddie or Iris wasn't coming in to the room. "Careful, it's sharp. See, you can throw it like a boomerang or…" He carefully took the weapon and grasped it in his hands and pulled, the weapon splitting in the middle to two even halves. There was a clicking sound and two handles popped out of the hollow space. "Elbow blades." Cisco grabbed one of the elbows to show her.

"Sweet as," Averey said with a grin and a nod of approval. She lifted her hand, curling her fingers into a fist and Cisco bumped her fist with a bright smile. "Thanks, Cisco. This is so cool. I can't even remember what I got last year, or my birthday for that matter, but this blows all that out of the bloody water."

"You're welcome," Cisco replied with a proud smile. A curious look crossed his face. "When is your birthday anyway?"

"July," Averey replied. "I'm turning 25."

"Oh." Cisco blinked.

"I know, I don't look it," Averey said, waving her hand in the air. She put her hands to her cheeks, stretching her skin. "Actually, I think my smile lines make me look older at times."

Cisco let out a short laugh. "Hey, try looking like you're still 12 years old," he replied, as he put the items from the box back, slipping the top on. "Sucks, huh?" He angled his to the side when a swell of cheers and groans hit the air. "Want to see what that was."

Averey craned her neck, peering around him. "Monopoly," she re replied, spotting the board. "I'm terrible at that game."

"Come on, come on," Iris said with a bright smile as she rushed into the room. "Let's play. It's a tradition my dad, Barry, and I have." She ushered them into the living room.

"Yeah, it's a tradition to lose every year," Barry said, with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, Thea never lets me forget how many times she's won, either," Oliver said with a plastered smile on his face. It was weird for Averey to see him so relaxed and comfortable in the West home. Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity were all knowledgeable in their areas of helping herself and Barry, and they fit in well with Caitlin and Oliver, but they were taking more of an observant role outside of the laboratory.

"We've paired off; me and Joe, Iris and Eddie, Oliver and Diggle, Caitlin and Cisco, and Averey you're with Felicity," Barry said as he lowered himself to the floor around the coffee table.

"I already picked the shoe if that's ok," Felicity said, pushing her glasses up her nose, giving Averey a smile.

"That's ok," Averey replied, returning her smile. "That just means it'll hurt them even more when we kick their asses." She lifted her hand for a high five and Felicity obliged with an excited "Whoo!" and a fist pump and joined the group on the floor around the table as Caitlin and Diggle set up the game.

"We'll see about that," Iris said, rubbing her hands together. "I never lose."

"I didn't realize I was dating someone so competitive," Eddie commented before moving to kiss Iris on the cheek.

"Monopoly, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders," Joe listed off, giving his partner an amused look. "If there can only be one winner on top, these two will fight tooth and nail to get that spot."Her jerked his thumb in Barry's direction before pointing at his daughter. He chuckled, shaking his head back and forth. "You don't know what you're getting into."

"I'll bet," Eddie muttered. An awkward silence fell after his comment. He cleared his throat before nodding his head in Averey's direction. "Uh, Averey, you said you had a gift for us?"

"Oh, yeah!" Averey jumped to her feet and retrieved her box. "My mum sent over Christmas crackers to share." She opened the cardboard box and started passing out the sweets-resembling, paper tube with the bright colored wrapping twisted at both ends, items inside, passing them out to everybody. "It's a tradition my mum, dad, and I have been doing since I was a kid. Before you open your cracker you make a wish on them. You don't have to do that but I always thought it made Christmas Day a little more special."

Averey kept one to herself. "Normally, two people share one and open it kind of like when you're trying to get the bigger half of a wish bone," she explained. "Anyway, you grab them by the sides like this, and you…" she grabbed the ends of her own and pulled them apart, opening with a small _pop_, "pull them open to break them and get the prize inside. They come with paper crowns, a joke and riddle and a little toy like plastic rings, and stuff." She dumped her tube into her hand and a folded swatch of orange fell into her hand along with a slip of paper with some writing, and a small deck of cards.

Her heart pumped hard against her chest once and her arm pits suddenly flooded with sweat. _Of course_. She was going to be reminded of the gang no matter what, it seemed. Putting a smile to her face, she unfolded her paper crown and slid it on her head. "And you wear your hat while you eat Christmas dinner," she added.

As she watched everyone else open their crackers, she realized with a start that she hadn't made a wish before opening her cracker. If she had, she would've made sure to wish for everything to stay the way it was in this snapshot of a moment even though she knew pictures eventually faded.

* * *

**A/N: **Up later than I intended, but here's the next chapter. It's long, but i had to cover a lot with this and to push the plot line forward. Averey now has her suit! Just imagine Ellen Page's X-Men suit in _X-Men: The Last Stand_, only add in a Cyclops-like visor (with a wider reflective front to look through) for her. But now we're on to more with the Rogues and a shift back into Averey's involvement into the Royal Flush Gang. Thanks for reading.

_Guest: _I loved writing Eddie and Averey in that scene. There's more to come as the story progresses.

_Knickity: _Thank you for your kind words! Also, thank you for taking the time to read the story. Averey's powers will become more prominent, and dare I say useful, as the story continues on.


	17. If You Recognized Me

**-Chapter Seventeen-**

**"If You Recognized Me"**

Harrison slid his fingers over the yellow material of the suit sitting in front of him, dressed on the metal mannequin-like figure. Setting his jaw, he pressed his lips together as he angled his head just slightly at the arrow displayed against the side of the little alcove. Greatly underestimating the Arrow wasn't something he would admit to, but his skills certainly were better than he imagined. His arrow had almost pierced the material. Or it would have, if it really was there. It would've ruined everything. He had to admit; those five years on the island certainly did train him to be in top shape and gave him that survival's edge that set him apart from the others.

Barry didn't have that edge. He had a different kind of drive. The kind of drive chasing down a murderer could only give you. He had his sights on finding the man responsible for 14 years. Little did he know he was working right alongside that very person. He could still see that young, wide-eyed innocence of that little boy scared and confused in Barry's eyes even now.

Harrison's smirk of amusement faded just slightly as he dropped his arm down to his side. He didn't entirely understand the kind of anguish Barry had been going through for years—and maybe he didn't care—but he had longed for the familiarity of home in that same amount of time. The longer he had to wait for Barry to build up his speed, the more frustrated he became. He wasn't making the progress that not only he knew that Barry could achieve, but that he desperately needed.

"I'm almost sad to see you go, Oliver," he said quietly to himself, lifting the arrow fashioned to the wall beside his suit. He twisted the light, thin, arrow around in his hands. He gently pressed the pad of his finger against the tip and felt a slight prick. Turning his hand around, a bead of blood appeared and grew before sliding down towards the palm of his hand. "You've helped Barry more than you know."

Harrison lifted his finger to his mouth and gently licked away the blood. "But not enough." He set the arrow back and moved to face the white podium at the end of the room. "Gideon; bring me Barry's latest stats."

A face appeared in the wall in front of him, it' thin lips moving to reply. "Of course, doctor." Harrison sniffed and watched as the face disappeared to bring up graph after graph. He lifted a hand to remove his glasses from his face as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Barry's top speed had increased over the past few months, but it still wasn't anywhere he needed it to be. But, an improvement was better than nothing.

He had to take what he could get.

For now.

He set his glasses on top of his head, hooking the arms behind his ears. Lifting a fist, Harrison ran the pads of his fingers over his knuckles. He gazed down at the healing scabs as a jolt of pain shot up his arms. He could've healed himself just as quickly as he could run, but that wasn't an option. There wouldn't be a way he could explain his miraculous recovery after being beaten so badly. Especially to Caitlin.

Watching the rise and falls of the bars indicating Barry's maximum speed, he grit his teeth. He could only impress on the metahuman how important more speed was before it finally clicked with him. Sliding his fingers through his hair, he gripped a handful, pulling it tight. Oh, he could really throttle the Flash right now. Maybe it'd knock some sense into him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he slowly let out a breath of air, trying to release his tension. But, it wasn't so easy; he already waited 15 years to get the chance to finally go back home.

Home. A frown tugged at his lips. Central City, in a way, had become his home over the years. He had never seen that coming when he set out to face off against the Flash in his own world. Maybe he had been careless. Maybe he was too bloodthirsty. But to have to rely on the same man to get him back to his old time was karma hitting biting him. Hard. Or life just hated him. Either way.

"Gideon, bring up the results from the training session two days ago," Harrison commanded as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Both Barry and Averey's." He rubbed at his eyes as he waited for confirmation that the stats had been changed. He lifted his head, placing his hand over his mouth.

That training session had helped. Of course, anyone being followed by a drone carrying a homing missile would attempt at running out of its way as fast as possible. Averey's impeccable vision had helped as she called out directions, telling Barry where to go to avoid the weapon; out of ear shot of Cisco who was flying the drone to begin with. But, it had been Barry's idea.

"Seems my visit had given Barry the push he needed to get faster."

_"Why did you do it? How could you do it? How could you kill my mother like that?_" _Barry's eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. He opened and closed his mouth, his breath appearing in puffs. Snowflakes started to fall, landing in his hair and on his eyelashes. "For years no one believed me about you."_

_"And who believes in you, Flash?" he replied, tilting his head up just slightly to look the gangly man in front of him up and down. Himself, Cisco, and Caitlin were obvious answers. But it went much deeper than that. _

_He watched as Barry pressed his lips together. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly. He knew he had struck a nerve with the speedster. His parents, arguably the only people in the world who _really _held unshakeable belief in their kids, weren't around to impart that belief. One was murdered, and the other was waiting out his nearly life long sentence in jail. At this point in time, he could only wonder if Henry Allen's belief was that the man who had helped raise him over the past 14 years had done a good job._

_ "I've finally found you." Barry's hands curled into fists."And I'm not letting you get away this time."_

_"I believe that was the other way around," he answered. "I found you, Flash. I found you once years ago, and I found you again. You may have had some _eyes _on me." He could practically see Barry's whole body tense up. "But I'll be the one to find you. I've been faster than you and I will always _be _faster than you."_

_"We'll see about that," Barry threatened._

_He laughed. "Bring it on," he replied, "Flash."_

Harrison could practically hear the heartbreak in Barry's voice again. He could see it in his eyes that night, despite the growing darkness that fell around them. And all he could do was taunt him some more. But it worked; it gave Barry the fire he needed.

At the same time, he'd be lying if he said that seeing how distraught Barry looked, felt, and sounded was easy to witness. Harrison placed a hand over his heart, pressing the pads of his fingers against his cloth covered chest. He was the one who had caused all of that pain and sorrow and he could easily justify it with the words, "I just want to go home."

"Averey has just about 20/5 visual acuity, maybe even better than that, but that doesn't explain the gaps in her memory," Harrison said to himself, starting to pace back and forth. "She could point me out from so far away, and has incredible memory. But this…this doesn't make sense."

Admittedly, he didn't care too much about it. At least that aspect of her powers; it was her incredible memory he was sure he could work in his favor. But those gaps in her memory…if it happened more often, he could certainly find a way to use it to his advantage. Prism, or Rainbow Raider, had done him a favor with affecting her psychosis.

He also hadn't paid too much attention to her suggestion—it felt more like a demand at the time—to figure out just how many metahumans were out there and t to understand more about exactly the particle accelerator did to change their biological makeup. Not that he wasn't making some progress on it. They had a handful of them sitting under his feet this very moment, after all. He could go down there and talk to them whenever he pleased. With Cisco making sure they were all fed from Big Belly Burger, they were bound to open up eventually. It wasn't like they had any other place to go.

_Home, maybe. _Harrison cleared his throat. _Everybody has a home whether or not they have a way to get there. _He shook his head. He couldn't think about that right now. Home was the end goal; but right now, he needed to make sure he had the way to get there. As the days went on, he could formulate the best plan he possible could. It wasn't too hard. He was Harrison Wells after all; one of the smartest people the world would know.

"Thank you, Gideon," Harrison said with a slight tilt of his head. He lowered his glasses down onto his nose. "I appreciate it."

"Of course, doctor."

"Bring up the feed in the Cortex, please," Harrison said, clasping his hands behind his back. "And open the recording software as well." The screen in front of him changed and he was watching a live feed of Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry facing Averey as she showed off her new, sleek suit stretching her arms over her head and rotating her shoulders. A small smile of amusement came to his face. It wasn't that long ago that Barry was acting the same way after putting on his suit for the first time.

"How things have changed in a year," Harrison whispered. He tilted his head back just slightly and started talking in a louder voice. "It's been a year since the particle accelerator accident and things have drastically changed since Barry Allen's woken up from his coma. His aptitude and compassion for his fellow man is admirable; however I couldn't help but wonder if it was holding him back from reaching his full potential. An increase in speed means an increase in response time to help those in need."

"Roy Bivolo's whammy as we're affectionately calling it certainly has brought out a sense of stubbornness in Mr. Allen. Or maybe it's just increased it. Now the question is, why the patrons at the bank have not had any other instances of rage, and yet it is still evident in both Barry and Averey. That's something I'll have Dr. Snow—_Caitlin_ look into. If Barry's anger and desperation is the cause for the increase in his speed, maybe it'd be better not to look for a 'cure' of sorts."

"But that doesn't seem to be the case for Miss. Moore. Stress and anxiety can affect memory loss, but not for this length of time." He ran his thumbs over his chin. "Unless…unless she's already been tapped into the gang. Royal Flush Gang members were arrested at the foundry and she really wanted to help Barry that night." He pressed his lips together, tilting his head just slightly. On the other hand, if she hadn't found Bivolo at the foundry, they wouldn't have found the metal to make her weapons. There were some positives out of the dark matter being released into the air; it had created some of the strongest metal Harrison had set his eyes on. Collecting a much of it as he could was a stroke of genius. He already had plenty of ideas on what to use what was left of it for. "We'll just see how that all turns out. And from what I know, it always gets worse before it gets better. Gideon, stop the recording and save the file. Close everything down."

Harrison turned on his heels and made his way to his wheelchair. He carefully lowered himself into the electronic contraption and maneuvered himself out of the room, making sure the room was concealed before heading into the Cortex just in time to hear Averey yell, "Hey! Put me down!" in between laughs.

Harrison entered the room, lifting an eyebrow as he watched Barry and Cisco carry Averey towards the exit of the laboratory. "Do I even want to know?" he asked Caitlin who was watching with pursed lips and arms crossed over her chest. She looked like she didn't know whether to laugh at the situation or scold the two men.

"She said she hates the cold," Caitlin replied, raking her fingers through the air, "and Cisco thought it'd be the perfect time to test out the weather resistance of the suit."

"Better than making another freeze gun I assume," Harrison commented. Caitlin's eyebrows twitched.

"Help! Police!" Averey continued.

"I _am_ the police," Barry reminded her, causing Cisco to let out a laugh, tightening his grip on her. "Everyone should experience playing out in the snow at least once. Besides, it wasn't that long ago you were throwing snowballs at me. What're you afraid you're going to melt?"

"I DON'T REMEMBER KIDNAPPING BEING PART OF THE AMERICAN DREAM!" Averey shouted. It wasn't that loud as her stomach was pressed into Barry's shoulder. Her face was turning red from being held upside down and her laughter broke up her words.

"It's not _kidnapping_," Cisco insisted with a snort. There was a pause as his lips curled up into a smile of amusement. "It's manhandling." Ignoring Averey's "No, no, no, no" Cisco and Barry carried her towards the exit.

"Because that makes it _so _much better," Caitlin said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Feeling a smile pull to his lips, Harrison followed the two of them. He did work in a stressful and serious environment, but it was moments like this that really broke up the day to day routine and brought a sense of the old STAR labs back. They got a lot done, but even in their field, they had fun with each other. They were like a family of sorts.

_A family that has no problem deserting you the minute something goes wrong_, he thought to himself, tightening his grip on the arm rest of his wheelchair. He couldn't blame them for jumping ship; many got injured in the explosion, some were suffering from PTSD, and others quit the field all together. _But Cisco and Caitlin stayed. That's all that matters. They stayed and with their help, you can get home. _He roughly pushed his glasses ups his nose, the edges of the nose pads pressing firmly into his skin.

"Dr. Wells," Caitlin said as she hurried at a light jog to keep up with him, her heels clacking on the floor. "Is something wrong? You didn't have me assess your injuries this morning and I know you've worked out again this morning."

"My apologies, Caitlin, but I assure you my well being is intact," Dr. Wells replied. "I just need to ask a favor of you." He slowed his speed, gazing up at her. "Do you still have the medical records for those who were at the bank during Prism—"

"You mean Rainbow Raider?" Caitlin asked, interrupting him. He blinked, silent before allowing himself to give a small smile in response to the proud look on her face for naming the metahuman.

"Yes, of course," he replied.

"I do still have their medical records, yes," Caitlin said, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Why?"

"I'd like you to see if any of them have been updated recently," Dr. Wells replied. "Any instance of another hospital stay or doctor visit, I would like to know of immediately. The holidays are a time of stress and I think it could—"

"Trigger any residual anger that Rainbow Raider may have whammied them with," Caitlin finished for him, nodding her head. "Yes, Dr. Wells, I can do that."

"Thank you," Harrison replied. "I'll have a talk with Rainbow Raider and see if he'll explain his powers anymore and if there is any way to put a stop to its effects." _Or enhance them. If Barry performs this well while upset, he'll be increasing his speed exponentially in no time._ He shivered as he came upon the open STAR Labs door. Whether it was from the cold or it was a shiver of excitement, he couldn't pin point.

"Guys, be careful," Caitlin said as she stood by the door, trying to shield as much as she could with the metal door. After three swings, Barry and Cisco tossed Averey into one of the snow piles that lined the sidewalk—quickly done that morning by Barry—where she landed with a soft _whump_. Caitlin's hands flew up to cover her mouth, squelching a laugh at Averey's premature gasp.

"Hey," Averey said as she pushed herself up into a seated position. She held her gloved hands out in front of her, flexing her fingers. "It's not cold at all." A smile slowly spread across her face. "In fact…" She reached for the snow and started balling it up in her hands.

"Cisco, I think it works," Barry said, nudging his friend in the side.

Cisco beamed, brushing invisible dirt off his shoulders. "You can all say it," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a—" _Whoosh. Pow. _Barry quickly sped out of the way, and Cisco was hit in the face with a snowball; white powder flying everywhere. "Genius." He shook, trying to get the snow off of him. "Brrrrr, that's cold!"

"HA!" Harrison couldn't help himself as he let out a loud laugh. He cleared his throat and settled back into his chair, watching the scene unfold.

"She's retaliating!" Barry cried. He and Cisco hurried forward and started packing and throwing snowballs as quickly possible. Harrison wondered how long it'd take for the speed metahuman to just start pelting everyone. That would've been something to see.

Caitlin suddenly shrieked, hopping from foot to foot as chunks of snow hit her bare skin. "Cisco!" she cried. "I'm wearing heels!"

Harrison folded his hands in his lap, watching the snowball fight unfold. A pang of sadness hit himself in the center of his chest, slowly trickling outwards. All he wanted over the last fourteen years was to go home to his family. But that meant he was leaving this family behind and a part of him was going to miss them.

* * *

"I have to go soon." Averey shifted the rounded ear piece to the Iron Heights phone from one ear to the other. "Happy Late Christmas, by the way," she said to him. "I didn't say it before. Did you get my gift?" She paused before adding, "Did you like it?"

"The magazine subscription, yes," Henry replied with a nod. The areas around his eyes crinkled just slightly as he smiled. They seemed to look bigger behind the lenses to the square glasses sitting on his face. "Thank you. I can't tell you how long it's been since I read a _National Geographic_. Of course I like it; I haven't gotten anything new to read for a while."

"I thought about _Popular Science_, but didn't think it would've helped," Averey said as she pulled her knee up to her chest, "you know, pass the time." Henry briefly closed his eyes, but didn't say anything. "I didn't know you wore glasses."

"Yeah, I need them for reading. I don't get much natural light at certain times of the day, so," Henry said, waving his hand in the air. He let out a small sigh. "My vision has been changing as I've been in here."

"Mine too," Averey replied. _More than you know_. "They kind of looks like yours. But mine are bigger. And Red. And plastic. Ish." Henry chuckled before silence fell over the two of them. "What?" he asked with a blink, realizing she was staring at him.

"Nothing. I just wanted to be so mad at you," Averey replied, lowering her foot to the floor. She grabbed the front of her chair and walked herself closer to the desk in front of her. As she settled, Henry stared back at her, blinking once, twice, three times. "I had thought out so many conversations in my head; what I would say, how I would say it, what _you _would say. I wanted to tell you how much it sucked to know you didn't want to be around." Averey swallowed. "But, I'm not going to."

"You're not?" Henry asked, shifting in his seat, startled.

"No," Averey replied, shaking her head back and forth. "I don't think, on top of everything, you need that, dad."

Henry shook his head back and forth. "No, Averey," he said, suddenly talking in a lower tone. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Averey asked.

"Don't hold back just because I'm sitting behind bars," Henry replied. He lifted his hand and started firmly pressing his index finger onto the wooden table in front of him. "Don't think that you have to be nice to me or pretend like what I did, or didn't do, never happened just because of where I am right now. Just because of where I am shouldn't mean you can't be honest with me about how angry or upset you are."

"That's just it, I'm not mad anymore," Averey said with a shrug. Henry lifted his eyebrows. "I had a long time to think on my flight over from Australia. I practiced what I wanted to say so much people probably thought I was mental." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug before starting to play with the ends of her hair. "Once I landed at LAX, I started to chicken out. I nearly bought a return flight back that same day."

"The longer I put off coming, the more I wanted to do it to just get it over with. I always knew you were in Central City because of mum's picture—or at least, I knew it was a place to start looking for you. I didn't know if you stayed all these years. So, after landing in California, I just started heading East. Keystone was the closest I got before I chickened out again. I rode around on a bus for hours before finally getting off at the station coming into the city."

She swallowed, feeling her throat suddenly start to tighten. "I had wanted to meet you for the longest time, just to get to know you and to understand things better," she explained. "Maybe—" Her nose started to burn and she loudly sniffed. She swallowed the lump in her throat and cleared it before sitting up straight in her seat, talking in a clearer tone. "Maybe I could find out what we have in common, y'know? But, I couldn't go through with it for a while. Especially when I first came to Irion Heights, I nearly turned right around at the door. I was more frustrated than mad when I first met you, because I kept thinking that there were plenty of times mum could've told me the truth. Or you could've reached out. Or not, I guess, since you're stuck here."

"I didn't know what to say to you," Henry said, using a hand to remove his glasses from his face. "I didn't know how much of the story, if any, your mom told you." He pressed his arm against his face. "I haven't told Barry about you yet, either."

"I know," Averey said with a nod. "He told me he had visited you and didn't say anything, so…" She didn't know what to say. On one hand, she was getting to know Barry better like she had wanted ever since finding out about their relation. He really was being a good friend to her as she continued to learn about STAR Labs' operation and looking out for her. On the other hand, she didn't want to feel any more like a dirty little secret.

_Not like you're not keeping any to yourself, right, Ave? _Her stomach clenched as she thought back to Casey's text message. She had quickly deleted it from her phone, but it wasn't like she could erase it from her mind. And if she got caught, they could still look at her phone records? That would still turn up, right? Averey masked the sharp twitch of her head from left to right, trying to rid herself of the thought, as fixing her hair.

"I just wondered if that was why you hadn't returned," Henry replied. "I'd understand if you didn't want to."

Averey sucked in a long breath of air, her chest swelling before she let it out through her nose. _Calm down. Just breathe. It's just you and your dad right now. _Her roommates hadn't said anything since coming back from Metropolis. They moved through their day as if nothing had ever happened. They asked about her Christmas and everything. Averey watched them closely, but nothing seemed off with them.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to come back," she admitted. "Or if I wanted to come back." She matched his movement, and briefly buried her face into her arm. "I do want to get to know you better, dad. A friend helped me see that it doesn't have to be uncomfortable or anything. I just kind of wish it wasn't like this."

"Me too," Henry said with a tight smile. He started spinning his glasses by the arm between his index and thumb fingers. "I'd like to get to know you better as well."

"Ok." Averey felt herself relax into a smile. "Great. Um, but then, I want you to know, I was arrested in Keystone for petty theft." She watched Henry's smile fade, the light disappearing from his eyes just slightly. She barely knew anything about the man apart from what she had read in newspapers and online articles, and yet he could still put that guilty feeling of disappointing him in the pit of her stomach. "I was in jail for a little bit. But, I promise, I didn't intend to do it." She quickly told him how she thought her friends had paid for the shoes and how they convinced her to walk them out of the store.

"Looks like we do have some things in common, don't we?" Henry replied, setting his glasses back on his face. "I'll admit that's not something I wanted to hear." He scratched at the back of his head. "But I'm glad you told me."

"Of course." Averey turned in her seat to glance at the clock hanging on the wall behind her. "I have to get going." She turned back to face him. "I'll be back soon, though. Ok?"

"I look forward to it," Henry said with a nod. "It was nice seeing you again, Averey."

"You too." Averey moved to hang up the phone, but stopped when she heard Henry's voice coming through the receiver, "Oh, hold on a second."

"Your mom," Henry explained, "she was going to give you my last name. She was going to call you Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" Averey asked, her eyebrows shooting up. "Bonnie Allen?"

"Yep; Barry and Bonnie Allen. it wasn't that hard to talk her out of it," Henry said with a quiet laugh. His lips formed a thin line as he swallowed. "Your first name, anyway. She decided not to give you my last name on her own."

"Oh." Averey was silent for a moment. Given Barry's work as the Flash, and how Henry has kept his faith and spirits up in while in Iron Heights, she had felt a sense of pride of being an Allen to some capacity.

"I just wanted you to know," Henry said in response to her silence. "I'm not expecting you to go out and change your name or anything."

"Thanks for telling me, dad."

"You're welcome. I'll let you go."

Averey lifted her hand in a small wave before hanging up her phone. Henry did so as well before he was escorted towards a back door by a guard. Pausing in the doorway to have handcuffs put on his wrists. Henry gave her one more smile over her shoulder before being guided back into the halls of the prison. She allowed herself to be guided back to the main lobby of the Iron Heights prison to collect her belongings from the locker she had been assigned. She tensed as a shadow fell over her as she pulled the strap to her bag over her shoulder.

"I was wondering when I'd run into you, here."

"What are you doing here, Joe?" Averey asked, turning around to face the African-American cop. He lifted his badge into the air before sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Police business," he replied. "Captain Singh wanted me to talk to some of the Royal Flush Gang members we had recently arrested. See if they know anything about the theft at Jitters."

Averey's mouth suddenly went dry. "Oh." She nodded her head up and down. Joe shifted his gaze towards the door and then set it back on her. A look of curiosity crossed his face. He lifted his eyebrows, waiting. Waiting for her to answer him; he wondered when he'd run into her. Here. Of all places. Which meant…

Looking for a quick way out, her eyes darted around the room. Only one exit. She could reach it in a few quick steps. He would catch her in a second for sure. She hooked her thumb under the strap of her bag, shifting her weight from foot to foot before looking him in the eye. "If you recognized me, why haven't you told Barry?" she asked. "I mean, why doesn't he know?"

"Because long ago, Henry asked me not to say anything," Joe replied, lifting a hand to scratch at his beard.

"He asked me the same thing," Averey said.

"And despite our falling out, I'm going to keep his promise," Joe continued to explain. "He told me one night over drinks just to get it off his chest. That day you called in the body, I hadn't recognized you; I had only met you once when you were a kid. But, Iris had brought up our name on occasion since your interview at Jitters, so I paid attention. That night Barry attacked Eddie, when we were in STAR Labs, I just started figuring it out."

Averey was silent for a moment. "How?" she finally asked, her voice cracking.

"Henry and I have been friends for a long time," he said with a fond smile coming to his face. "You act like him at times; like just now, you started looking for a way out of here instead of talking." Averey felt her eyebrows angle towards each other as she gave him a confused look. "You did that back at STAR Labs, before you ran out with that…thing." He lifted a hand and swiped his hand left to right over his eyes. He used to do that; look around at everything in the room." He lifted a hand and used the first two fingers to outline the sides of his mouth. "You have similar jaw structures and smile lines, too. But, Barry is very perceptive. He can spot things a lot of other people can't, which is why he's so good in the CSI unit. He might be too distracted now to really see it, but I hope Henry tells him before he finds out on his own."

Averey expelled a breath of air in a short chuckle of disbelief. She couldn't be too surprised; he was a detective. They certainly had to be trained in locating the finest details in crime scenes or to remember as accurately as possible how people looked. How far of a stretch was it for him to take his experience on the force and place her in Jitters at the time of the robbery? She didn't want to stick around to find out.

Shifting her weight from foot to foot, Averey nodded. He slowly shook his head from side to side. "You can do so much with your eyes?" he asked. "Dr. Wells explained it to me that night."

"Yeah, I can," she replied.

"Amazing," Joe said quietly. "When I think I'm finally starting to understand everything, I get thrown another curve ball."

Running a hand over her face and up to her forehead, resting her palm on the smooth skin, she let out a sigh. "Yeah, well, I'll let you get back to the investigation," she said, side stepping him. She didn't know what else to say in that moment. But she could see in his eyes that he would continue to honor his friends' wishes. Blinking her thanks, she made her way towards the exit, letting out a sigh as the cool air blasted her in the face.

She stood still for a moment, allowing the cool air to whip past her, before making her way as quickly as she could away from Iron Heights. "Man, I could really use Barry's super speed right now," she said. After a bus ride back into Central City—in which she thought about how close she was to her dad the whole time she had been living in Keystone with the jail not too far from the city—her phone chimed, notifying her of a FaceTime request from Caitlin, and a few other missed calls from her.

"Hey, Caitlin." Averey held her phone out in front of her. She waved in greeting to the picture of her brunette friend that took up her cell phone screen. "You called?"

"Yeah, sorry, I just had a question," Caitlin replied, using her free hand to brush her hair behind her ears. "It's kind of important." She bit down on her bottom lip just slightly. "Your friends at Mercury Labs; do they know a Jason Rousch?"

"Jason Rousch…Jason Rousch…." Averey repeated the name over and over again, trying to think of the person in question. "Do you have a picture of him?" Suddenly, she was getting a good view of the ceiling to STAR Labs as the clacking of Caitlin typing on her computer filled the air. Then she was facing a picture of a man. "Oh, yeah, I think he's come to Jitters a few times; Venti French Roast blend with whipped cream and cookie bits. Why?"

"Because he used to work at STAR Labs and just accepted a job offer at Mercury Labs, and I need to talk to him," Caitlin replied. "I was wondering if there was any way you could talk to your friends to get me a time to talk with him?"

"Yeahhhh," Averey replied, holding out the word. She shifted her phone from one hand to the other. "But could you do me a favor in return?"

"Yes, of course," Caitlin replied with a nod. "Whatever it is, I'll do my best to help."

"Could you ask Dr. Wells what he thinks about me converting one of the old STAR Labs rooms into kind of a training center?" Averey asked. "After Oliver and Barry pretty much threw me like a bloody rag doll into the box of packing peanuts, I think it'd help. Plus, then I could get some practice in fighting with the suit." She bit her thumb nail as Caitlin's eyes narrowed just slightly before her lips pulled up into a small smile.

"Still scared of Dr. Wells?" she asked.

"_Noooo_," Averey insisted. Caitlin gave her a pointed look. "Ok, kind of. He's scary when he yells."

"Dr. Wells is just passionate about our work here," Caitlin reassured her with a smile of amusement. "He really just wants to help Central City after everything." She turned towards her computer and started closing the windows up. "I'll go ask him right now."

"Thanks, Cait," Averey said with a grateful smile. She squinted, peering at her friend's computer desktop. "Is that Ronnie? He's cute."

"Hmm?" Caitlin glanced at her phone before turning back to her computer where a picture of herself and Ronnie as her desktop background. Her smile of amusement morphed into sadder smile as she nodded. "Yeah, that's him." She said something under her breath. Averey could only read "he doesn't look like that" off her lips before she turned her head far enough away that she couldn't see anymore.

* * *

"You're not listening to a word I'm saying are you?"

"What? Of course I am," Eddie replied, giving Iris a smile as he looked away from his computer. Iris lifted an eyebrow, her mouth forming a smirk.

"Then what did I just say?" she asked.

"Uhhhh." _Quick, Eddie, think. _"That since you were moving in you wanted to look at some furniture," he replied. He then settled back in his chair, giving her a look of mock annoyance. "And I'm telling you there is nothing wrong with my couch."

"You've had it since college," Iris replied, her nose wrinkling as she made a face of disgust. "Sitting on it would probably release a cloud of frat brother farts or something." Eddie stared at her for a moment before he started laughing. "What? You haven't exactly been open with your past college life."

"That's because I was a nerd who spent all his time studying to pass his history and public speaking course," Eddie replied. Iris gave him a doubtful look. "What?"

"You're not serious about public speaking, are you?" she asked. She walked around the front of his desk to his side. Eddie quickly closed his documents until a mug shot sat staring back at him.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" he asked as she perched himself on his lap. He slid an arm around her waist, gazing up at her with a warm smile.

"Oh, I can't count on my hands _or _feet how many times you've stumbled over your words, or tried talking around the food in your mouth when my dad's around," Iris said with a snort. She looped her arms around his neck. "I think it's kind of sexy how tongue-tied you can get, but…" She kissed him.

"Your dad just scares me, ok?" he asked as he pulled back.

"You're really scared of my dad?" Iris asked.

"Have you met the man?" Eddie shot back. "You're not working with him like I do. We don't all have him wrapped around our finger." Iris's jaw dropped and she lightly hit him on the cheek. Eddie lifted a hand and grasped hers. "I'm serious. He caters to you, but the rest of us have to kiss his butt to make sure we're on his good side. I'm not doing myself any favors by dating you."

"Gee, thanks," Iris said with a roll of her eyes.

"You know what I mean," Eddie said, giving her an apologetic look. "No, but seriously, if you get Joe-the-dad and Joe-the-Detective angry, you see two different sides of him. One being where he threatens to shoot me. I swear, when we figured out that he knew, I wanted to put myself in the witness protection program."

"He's not that bad," Iris insisted.

"Yeah, you say that, but I was looking into the eyes of Joe-the-Detective that night," Eddie said, using his index and middle finger to point at his own eyes before indicating hers. He grinned and tapped the end of her nose with his finger and Iris laughed. "I seriously thought I was a dead man walking. But, I honestly hope you never have to see that other side of your dad, Iris. I really do."

"So is there another side of Detective Thawne, too?" Iris asked.

"There's always two sides to a cop, Iris," Eddie explained.

"So, which side am I looking at now?" Iris asked. "My boyfriend or the one obsessed with his work?"

"I'm not obsessed with—"

"Eddie, I was at Jitters," Iris said with a huff, getting to her feet. Eddie briefly closed his eyes before he looked up at her. "You said it yourself, you had been chasing down this Gang for years. And then after the call to Mercury Labs, with the blur. You've made this task force to catch the Flash."

"Iris, I'm not getting into this fight with you again," Eddie said, putting a hand in the air, palm flat. He then started to massage his right temple. He knew Iris felt the need to defend the Flash, and he loved her more for her passion on the subject and the hard work going into her blog, but he was just doing his job. No one knew for sure what this Flash could do.

_A rush of wind burst forward and suddenly, he stood face to face with the Yellow Flash. Eddie's heart started hammering in his chest. At any moment he could go flying across the room, neck broken, and blood flying through the air as the Yellow Flash broke him like a toothpick. He had seen it. He couldn't believe his eyes, but he had moved faster than anything he had ever seen before. _

_His task force, his men were knocked over like bowling pins, dead, or critically injured. And it was like it was just a game for his guy. For this menace. The burning red eyes stared him down as if daring him to move. His whole body yelled for him to run, but Eddie found himself rooted to the spot._

_"Why so scared, Detective?" the low vibrating voice asked, mocking him? ""I thought this was what you wanted. To face me. To catch me." _

_"You—" Eddie swallowed. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."_

_"Try to stop me."_

He still couldn't get that out of his head. Had she noticed him waking up from the nightmares? Did she notice that he, at times, almost refused to go to sleep in fear of seeing the man again? He had tried to be brave, to be commanding, but there was nothing that could stop this man. Not a bullet. Not even a specially crafted force field. If it hadn't been for Joe distracting him, he wouldn't have just been pushed aside like he was nothing. He felt like nothing. Despite his experiences in the profession.

"It's not a fight, it's a discussion," Iris replied, sitting down at a clear area of his desk. There wasn't much. With case files and dirty coffee cups, he wondered how he was able to keep his apartment more clean than his desk. "I just don't understand why you're so dead set against the Flash being a menace. He saves people."

"He saves one people one minute than wears yellow and kills the next," Eddie replied. He knew he shouldn't be talking about it; it was a police matter. But, he needed her to understand. "Or did you forget that he nearly killed me in the streets?"

"I told you, something must've happened," Iris said quietly. "The Flash isn't like that. I know he isn't."

"I wish you weren't still secretly meeting with him just to work on your blog," Eddie said to her. Iris clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "It's not safe."

"I know how to take care of myself, Eddie," Iris said, setting her jaw as she set her gaze on him again. Her brown eyes were alight with annoyance. "If my meeting the Flash means that people out there know that someone is keeping them safe, then I'll still meet with him whenever he wants."

"The _police_ are there to keep Central City safe, Iris," Eddie said, getting to his feet, his chair creaking as he did so.

"I-I know," Iris put a hand to her head before dropping it into her lap. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply that your job isn't worth it." She got to her feet and adjusted his tie, sliding her hands over the material covering his chest, sending shivers down his spine. "It is. I know it is and I love you for doing it. For keeping me safe. But we've been having this argument more often since that night at STAR Labs and—"

"You weren't there, Iris," Eddie said, gently taking her hands, removing them from his chest. "I hope you never have to see something like that."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Iris asked quietly. Eddie shook his head in reply. She gave him a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. "You know with my mad journalistic skills I could just find out for myself."

"If that's how you want to find out…." Eddie said, putting his hands up defensively. "But, I'm not going to tell you. Please respect that."

"Ok," Iris said with a nod. "Just as long as you please respect what I'm doing with my blog. If my collecting stories of all these people and instances like the Flash and where they appear, helps people know which areas to avoid and how to believe in something greater than us, I'm going to continue doing so. Ok?"

"Ok," Eddie said with a nod. He bent his head and kissed her on the cheek. "I just worry about you. I mean, I know journalists like to get in on the action to report as accurately as possible, but I've never been in love with one before. I've never had to deal with it?"

"First of all, I'm not something you have to 'deal with'," Iris said, using air quotes. She prodded him in the chest. "And don't you forget it." Eddie instantly went to apologize, but Iris silenced him with a smile. "Secondly, now you know how I feel whenever you and dad go out every day. I always worry if you're going to come home."

"You'll always have me to come home to," Eddie said quietly. "I mean it. Even more so now that we're going to be living together." Iris's expression softened and she kissed him again. He motioned towards his computer. "I have to get back to work, but I'll see you later?"

"Of course," Iris replied. She glanced at the mug shot of the intense stare the man was giving back to them. "Well, he's just a ball of sunshine, isn't he?"

"Leonard Snart," Eddie said with a sigh. "Maybe you should put him up on your blog, huh? To help people avoid him?"

"Is he back in town?" Iris asked. "Babe, with his gun…how are you going to stop him?"

"We'll figure something out," Eddie reassured her, rubbing small circles on her lower back. "We always do. Just be careful walking home if you're working late, ok?"

"I will," Iris replied. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before gathering her belongings, slinging her purse of her shoulder. "Have a good day, babe."

"You too," Eddie replied, sitting back down in his chair. Then a thought hit him and he called after his girlfriend. "Iris. STAR Labs."

"Sorry?" Iris asked, turning back to face him.

"You said you keep track of appearances on these guys," Eddie said to her. She nodded, still looking confused. "Make sure you put this Yellow Flash up there. I don't want anyone else to cross paths with him." Iris hesitated for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip. "Everything ok?"

"Yes," Iris replied. "I just…I thought I had already done so. But, I'll make sure." She lifted her hand in a wave and headed out of the police building. Eddie slumped in his chair with a heavy sigh.

* * *

**A/N: **Phew. Another long chapter! It was kind of hard to write from the point of view of the Reverse Flash, but I really wanted to get more into Wells's head in this chapter.

_Kellie: _Thank you! Cisco and Averey together is fun to write.

_Guest: _Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

_Ethan: _Hey, thanks for checking this story out. You're making up time pretty quickly. Glad you're liking it so far.


	18. Sometimes it Just is

**-Chapter Eighteen-**

**"Sometimes It Just Is"**

"Maybe this Reverse Flash guy was the one who stole from Jitters."

Iris set down a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of Averey before settling in the seat across the table from her with her own coffee and a cronut. Jitters was closed for the night, and the two girls could get some extra time to wind down after a long shift and catch up on their "project" before heading out.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

Averey leaned back in her chair, balancing on the back two legs, before reaching to pull her glasses off her face. Lightly pressing at the corners of her eyes, she gently knocked her glasses up her forehead where they sat as the nose pads pushed into the skin.

"I don't know," she replied, "because he could move fast enough to take out security cameras and steal without being detected? Sounds like the perfect job for someone who can move that fast."

"So if you could move as fast as lightning," Iris asked with a chuckle, "you'd use the powers to steal?

_No, I'd just leave that up to my roommates to plan the whole thing and force me into it without my knowing. _Averey took a long sip of her hot chocolate, trying to squash the thought as she swallowed. What came out of her mouth instead was, "At least then I'd know I could get away with it."

"Wowww," Iris said, staring at Averey in disbelief before ripping her cronut in half. "Just wow."

"Even if you were guaranteed that you wouldn't be caught you wouldn't try breaking the law at least once?" Averey challenged her, hiking an eyebrow. Iris shook her head. "Come on, mate."

"I wouldn't," Iris insisted. "I'd use it to make sure I get to places on time." Her eyes widened. "Even better; I'd help _Barry _get to where he needs to go on time." Averey laughed along with her. Iris wrapped her hands around her mug of steaming coffee.

Averey scrunched up her nose and squinted at Iris, making note of the blurry edges of the tables, chairs, and windows behind the African American woman before gently tapping her glasses back down onto her face. Her vision started changing the more tired she was; with the STAR Labs tests on her vision and even more so using her own powers whether she really noticed she was doing it or not, the more mentally and physically exhausted she was by the end of the day.

Twisting her mouth to the side, Averey knew that Iris was right, but it wasn't like she really knew what was going on around Central City. "You seem really sure about that," she commented before reaching for her hot chocolate. "I mean, the guy _did _attack Eddie. Twice." She held up two fingers in the air, using her other hand to lift her mug to her mouth, taking a long sip. She smiled as her insides warmed from the hot beverage.

"Eddie thinks they could be the same person, but I don't think they are," Iris said with a shake of her head. She reached for her laptop and carefully lifted it off the table before turning it around to face her friend and co-worker. Averey leaned forward in her seat, allowing the front legs of her chair to settle on the floor, and regarded the yellow and red pulsing dots that spotted the map of Central City. "The Flash stands for truth and justice and is there to help people. This other guy isn't."

Iris reached a finger around the side of her computer and gently tapped the monitor. "Look, these are all the places that these two Flashes have shown up," she explained. She tapped a yellow spot and Averey watched as the map zoomed in to a 3D picture of STAR Labs as a text box opened to the right indicating the name of the location, the time of the sighting, and details of the incident. "Were there any other places you've heard of them showing up, lately?"

"No, that was it," Averey said with a shake of her head. "STAR Labs."

Truth be told, she tried hard not to think about the Reverse Flash. Whenever she did, she would just focus on what she had seen of him before and she'd rather not relive those scary moments over and over again. At the same time, she knew she'd have to face him again if not to finally get over her own fear, but to help Barry get justice for his mom's death, too. Nora Allen was family…sort of; in a 'I-Didn't-Know-You-But-My-Dad-Loved-You-And-He's-In-Jail-For-No-Reason' kind of way.

"Ok, so look," Iris said, getting out of her seat to sit beside Averey. "There's no possible way that The Flash and this Reverse Flash are the same people."

"You never know," Averey commented, "he could have a Jekyll and Hyde thing going on."

"The last time the Reverse Flash was seen was at STAR Labs, but now reports are coming in stating that the Flash was there that night, too." Iris clicked something on her computer and the yellow dot over STAR Labs started alternating red pulses.

"I don't remember that being said in the police chief's press conference," Averey commented. Not that she was surprised; a lot was left out of that report. Mercury Labs's tachynoic particle experiments for one, and the fact that they were actively trying to capture the Reverse Flash to begin with. There were just some things the public didn't need to know.

"Not just him, but there was also some unexplained flaming streaks in the sky that night," Iris continued, her eyes glowing in excitement. "I think it was the Burning Man."

"Burning Man?" Averey repeated. She wrapped her hand around her mug of hot chocolate and took a long sip, before sighing and licking her lips free of the excess beverage. "Isn't that an art…_thing _in Nevada?" She made a humming sound in the back of her throat. "I should've done a blog post on that while I was still on the West Coast."

Iris laughed lightly. "There's been sightings of this guy around Central City that people have seen burst into flames," he explained. She put her hands up by her head and made an explosion-like noise with her mouth. "I mean his _whole upper half_ _in flames_. It's amazing the kinds of things people submit to my blog. And it all started as a class project."

"How is Eddie doing by the way?" Averey asked. "After everything. I know the task force was important to him."

"He's focusing on his work as usual," Iris said with a sigh, twisting her mouth to the side. "I know he and dad can't and won't tell me everything that goes on, but it really drives me nuts sometimes. I can only imagine how hard it is to keep in everything they see." She ran a hand over her face before cupping her chin in her hand. She then reached for her cronut and took a large bite out of it, sugar sticking to her lips. She lifted a hand, holding it over her mouth as she talked and chewed at the same time. "I just worry about them. Eddie's had some nightmares, but he won't talk about it."

"Maybe now that you're moving in together you'll get to talk about it," Averey suggested. "I mean, personally, I'm a kicker when I sleep normally. He might be the same when he has nightmares. Normally, I'd say to kick the bloke back, but that might not do any good."

Iris snorted before shaking her head, her lips turning upwards in the corner just slightly. "Yeahhhh," she said, holding out the word. "I just don't like seeing him upset." She scrunched up her face for a moment before pushing a smile to her face. "Did Eddie really give you a 'Get out of Jail Free' card for Christmas?"

Averey's lips twitched upwards into a half smile. "Straight out of a Monopoly game and everything," she said, wiggling her eyebrows, earning a laugh from Iris. "With my habit of talking back to people, it's bound to get me in trouble one day." She reached up for her hair and grabbed a section of her hair, quickly twisting it up into a small bun. "Hey, I might need it one day."

"I still can't believe he was the one to arrest you in Keystone," Iris said, shaking her head. She ripped off another chunk of her cronut and

"I'm kind of glad it was him," Averey said, reaching her hand up to secure her hair bun before lacing her fingers together, resting her elbows on the table. "Once he figured out I hadn't actually done anything wrong, he made sure I was ok. He'd check in while I was in custody and helped me understand what was going on with court proceedings and everything. I don't know a lot of people that would do that."

"Eddie's a great guy," Iris said with a fond smile. She shook her hair out of her face, raking her fingers through her hair "So what made you want to track this other Flash?"

_To make sure I'm not going crazy seeing him everywhere_, Averey thought to herself; feeling herself shrug. _And where to avoid him. _She nearly rolled her eyes at that thought. It's not like the speedster couldn't show up wherever the hell he wanted because he had numerous times before. When she was staking out Central City with Barry, it felt more like he had found them instead of the other way around. At least this way she could feel like she had some advantage over him.

"It might help the Flash out," she replied, thinking on the spot. She tapped her fingers on the side of her mug. "I mean, if you're still talking with him, he'd probably like to know the areas he's been to before, maybe give him an idea of where he'll go next." Iris nodded in agreement. "Also, so people know which one will help them or not. Just to keep all the facts straight."

"I know what you mean," Iris said, waving her hand in the air. "I thought journalism was really boring at first, but I've really grown to like it. What I like the most is that you get the facts and nothing can change them."

"How'd this project start up, anyway?" Averey asked.

"It's part of the requirement for the semester," Iris explained as she reached for her coffee mug. "We had to set up a blog and pick a topic on something we can report on. Someone's following Mayor Bellows' re-election campaign; someone's focusing on international response to climate change, stuff like that. I thought this would be something different; everyone else was doing straight up blog posts, but I'm doing more of a compilation blog."

"My goal with it is to tell the truth with indisputable facts and to get as many different point of views on the subject as I can. Ever since I was a kid, I was fascinated with the truth in a way. I think it really came to be because of what happened with Barry's family. Everyone was saying he was wrong, he was saying no one would listen to him, but something _did _happen that night. The truth is out there, but no one has really come to one cohesive conclusion with it."

"I want to believe in the Flash because I know that with what he does, he can bring some faith back into not only Barry's life but the lives of everyone in Central City who have spent this past year recovering from the accident. They want to know the truth of what happened that night and what's going on in Central City, now. The truth is; there's someone incredible in this city who is putting their life on the line day in and day out to keep us safe. And—"

Iris suddenly stopped talking, looking tense. Averey felt the hair on her arms and the back of her neck stand up on end. An odd, uncomfortable feeling settled in the small of her back. And then she noticed what was left of her hot chocolate and Iris's coffee floating and twisting in the air, as if it was being slowly captured frame by frame as it was being poured out. "Iris?"

"I see it," Iris said quietly, her voice thin as if she was straining every muscle in her body to make sure she wasn't moving. Averey looked over at the African-American woman out of the corner of her eye. Her face was filled with fear and yet she looked mystified by what was occurring in front of her. "I just don't know if I believe it."

Suddenly, a series of loud _pops_ and the sound of glass shattering erupted from behind the service counter, eliciting a shriek from both girls. Iris grabbed Averey's arm and pulled her to the ground as the shattering switched to the sound of tables and chairs falling to the floor. Averey tightly grasped Iris's hand, using her other hand to shield herself as best as she could from the splintering wood flying around the room, willing herself to keep her eyes open to remember everything that was happening. Her veyesor was only a few feet away in her bag, but she couldn't put it on without Iris asking a lot of questions about it.

"What's going on?" Iris shouted over the loud noises. She tried to keep her hair from whipping around her face from the harsh winds from the force in the room.

"I have no idea," Averey said into her friend's ear. Her final word turned into a scream when Iris's computer crashed to the floor with a loud clatter, keyboard keys skittering in different directions, the screen going bank as a spider-web like crack etched across the screen.

"My computer," Iris gasped. She flinched as the table they were hiding under was knocked backwards, revealing themselves to the shimmering man in front of them. A low vibrating sound reached their ears before the Reverse Flash stomped a foot down on top of the broken computer, crushing it under his boot, twisting his foot back and forth on top of it. "Oh my god."

"_Stop. Tracking. Me._"

Averey could barely feel Iris's hand tighten its grip on hers; her hand was starting to go numb with how tightly she was holding onto her. She tilted her head back to face the Reverse Flash, looking into his blazing red eyes. The gravelly, threatening voice sent a chill rolling down her spine. Her eyes shifted focus repeatedly, trying to keep up with the speedy man. One second, he was clear and a split second later, he was blurry and out of focus. Back and forth, back and forth, it was starting to make her feel sick.

"Y-You're the guy," Iris said, stumbling over her words. "The yellow lightning guy." She licked her lips and cleared her throat. "Barry really saw you that night. Why did you—how could you do that to him?"

"I promise you, that if you don't stop following me and keeping track of what I do, and where I go, you will regret it," the Reverse Flash threatened, taking a step towards the girls. "No one can stop me. Not the police; not this special task force; not even The Flash."

"You killed all those people," Iris said, "why? They were just trying to keep us safe."

"No one is safe while I'm here, I'll see to that," the Reverse Flash spat. Averey swallowed thickly before sucking in a breath of air through her nose. If Iris could be this brave, she could too.

"What do you even want?" Averey asked, hearing her voice waver. He slowly turned his head her way and stared at her.

She had so many questions for him settled at the tip of her tongue. Why was he terrorizing Central City? Why had he shown up at her house as a kid? If he had appeared at Barry's house all those years ago and now was actively seeking him out, did he have some sort of vendetta against her? Was she going to be targeted next after he got rid of Barry? Or was he working on his plan, now?

"For things to go my way," the Reverse Flash replied after a long stretch silence. "For people like you to stay _out _of my way." She briefly caught the movement of him curling his fingers into fists. "Then no one will get hurt. That is not my intention."

Iris let out a loud curse. "You killed those people," she cried, "just like that." She snapped her finger to prove her point. "You'll obviously do anything to get things to go your way; if that's the case, it's unavoidable even if it's not your intention."

"This is the first and last time I'm going to warn you," the Reverse Flash said, ignoring Iris's outburst. "Don't get involved and I won't involve those near and dear to you." And then he was gone in a rush of light and wind. Silence filled the room, broken by the odd staccato of the two girls' breathing.

"You ok?" Iris asked quietly. Averey repeatedly nodded her head.

"You?" she asked and Iris copied her action, nodding her head. "Good." She was silent for a moment. "Is Jitters on that map?" Iris nodded her head. "Maybe we should make it a big ass dot, yeah?"

Iris let out an odd laugh as she reached for her cell phone. "For sure," she agreed, pressing her thumb to the keypad on her screen. Averey saw "Dad" pop up on the screen along with a picture of Joe. She heard the faint sound of a ring before Iris put her phone to her ear.

Averey got to her feet, gazing around the coffee shop. Everything was laying haphazardly, napkins shredded, everywhere, mugs smashed on the ground, sugar packets everywhere, and tables and chairs over turned. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned back towards the smashed computer on the floor.

Iris hung up her phone and looped an arm around her relaying the information she had just got from her dad. As they waited for the police to arrive, Averey suddenly had an idea of what to do with the stolen Jitters money.

* * *

STAR Labs held an even more ominous feeling at night, Averey noted, as she climbed over the old chain-link fence, her bag swinging into her side with each movement. Carefully balancing on top of the metal bar on the fence (in the least painful position possible), she reached into her bag and removed her camera. Wrapping the strap around her neck, she popped off the lens over her camera and took a series of pictures of the laboratory with the lit up city behind it.

"How can a city that looks this peaceful hold so much threatening things in it?" she asked as she lowered her camera into her lap. She was still, for a lack of a better word, jittery from the appearance of the Reverse Flash but as soon as the police had left and she let Barry know what had happened, everyone had been called to meet at STAR Labs. Packing up her camera, she started climbing down the other side.

A bright light suddenly shown on her, bobbing as the carrier walked over to her, accompanied by the sound of heels clacking on the blacktop. "Dr. Wells wanted us to come get you," Caitlin's voice drifted towards her.

"You know we have a front entrance you can come in at," Cisco's voice came next.

"Where's the fun in that?" Averey asked. "I see you upped security." She was already feeling the dull ache pounding in between her eyes from the light. She lifted a hand to shield her face from the light

Cisco cursed. "Turn it off!"

"Sorry!" Caitlin gasped. "I'm trying."

"Oh, damn." Averey groaned, feeling herself list sideways. One second she was falling (Caitlin screamed), and then the next she was hanging upside down by her leg. Her bag was cradled in her armpit, the strap hanging down towards the ground. She felt her glasses sliding off of her face. "Ow."

"Are you ok?" Cisco asked as he hurried forward.

"Oh yeah. Spider-Man's got nothing on me," Averey said, suddenly sounding as if she had a stuffy nose. Her bag hit the ground with a thud due to the movement, contents spilling out onto the ground.

"Believe it or not, I think he's more graceful than you are," Cisco commented with a laugh as he grasped her arms, helping her into a sit-up position. He supported her back against his chest. She blinked, startled, as she felt an odd vibrating sensation travel down her arms, from where Cisco held her as Caitlin moved to free her leg, and to the base of her spine.

"Ok, got it," Caitlin said shortly before Averey's leg loosened and dropped to the ground. She crouched beside the abandoned bag, gathering her belongings.

"Cheers," Averey said as she straightened. "Thanks."

"Come on," Cisco said, nodding his head to the side. He lifted his hand to tuck his hair behind his ear and "Dr. Wells is waiting for us. Barry, surprisingly, got here pretty quickly even after going to the crime scene." He laughed at his joke before leading the way towards the back entrance of STAR Labs.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Caitlin asked as she fell into step beside Averey, making sure to keep the flashlight away from her face. She handed Averey her bag and made sure she didn't hold the flashlight away from her friend's face. "I don't just mean from the fall, also from what happened at Jitters. I mean, you really _did_ see him. Not that I don't believe you, but with you being whammied—which by the way, I'd be progressing on a cure more if Rainbow Raider would cooperate with me."

"Yeah, I'm ok," Averey said with a nod as she quickly checked her camera to make sure it wasn't damaged. She tightly crossed her arms over her chest. "Trying not to think too much about it, yeah? Iris seemed to be doing well before Joe took her home, but that was scary." She chewed on her bottom lip. "He had said that hurting people wasn't his intention."

"Maybe he can't help it," Caitlin said as they stepped through the door Cisco held open for them. She craned her neck to look over Averey's head over to her friend. "Cisco, can I talk to Averey for a second?"

"No problem," Cisco replied with a nod of his head.

"Oh, hold on," Averey said as she reached into her bag for her veyesor, handing it towards Cisco. "I wasn't able to use this at the time, but I got a quick once over of Jitters with it before the police came to get our statements."

"Sweet." Cisco took the veyesor in his hands and turned it on the side, popping the memory card out of the ear piece, holding it in his hand. "I'll go show Dr. Wells now. Sucks that you couldn't record any of the action." He started walking backwards down the hall. "I'm glad you came back in one piece of course. I mean what went down sounded cray-cray." His voice jumped into a higher octave on the last word and he gave an odd laugh.

"Cisco."

"Right, I'm going now," Cisco said to Caitlin before walking off.

Averey whistled. "I could almost _actually _see the tension between the two of you," she said. Caitlin closed her eyes, her features softening as she laughed quietly.

"I just wanted to ask you a couple questions," Caitlin replied. She twisted her fingers together in front of her, shifting her weight from one heeled foot to the other. "Well, I found Ronnie. He's alive. I saw him before Christmas and then that night the Reverse Flash came to STAR Labs, he and Barry got into a fight and Ronnie saved him. But he wasn't Ronnie. He could burst into flames or manipulate fire to help him."

"Like the Burning Man?" Averey asked and Caitlin gave her a questioning look. "Iris wrote about him on her blog a couple times; at least that's what she told me. It was really Ronnie?"

Caitlin nodded. "But he didn't seem to be able to control his powers or anything."

"Maybe he can't help it," Averey said, repeating Caitlin's earlier words. The brunette's lips twitched upwards just slightly.

"I found this program that Jason Rousch had worked on with a scientist named Martin Stein called Firestorm, which is actually an acronym that stands for Fusion, Ignition, Research Experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular Structures," Caitlin said, rushing the explanation out of her mouth in a quick run. She took a deep breath and continued. "Basically, with this project you take atoms apart and use them to build new elements."

"And you think this fire cracker…_thing_ has something to do with what happened to Ronnie and why he can go all 'Flame On' whenever he wants?" Averey asked. Caitlin gave her a confused look. "Flame on? Johnny Storm? Fantastic Four; don't you know your comic book superheroes?"

"Oh god, there's two Ciscos now?" Caitlin asked, blinking repeatedly. Before Averey could say anything, Caitlin shook her head, putting a hand in the air. "Anyway, Cisco and I tracked him down; we found him. He told us about Firestorm and I looked it up and I think something with that experiment happened to him. But, no one can find Martin Stein—"

"So you wanted a chin wag with Jason Rousch," Averey finished for her and Caitlin nodded.

"Exactly, but I was hoping that if you could see Ronnie for himself, and we could record it with the veyesor then we'd be able to figure out how to help him by getting a closer look at what's exactly happening," Caitlin replied.

"Of course, Caitlin." Averey placed her hand on Caitlin's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever it is, I'll help. You've been able to help me and Barry, if you can help Ronnie, who am I to stand in the way of that?"

"Thank you so much," Caitlin said, seeming to look relieved. Averey started walking again, but Caitlin grabbed her arm, stopping her. "There's something else. I couldn't help but notice, given my background, but at first you didn't seem to really be into this whole thing, but you barely hesitated when Barry needed your help after he had been whammied."

"Mmmhmm." Averey slid her hands into her pockets. "I was worried about Barry and I knew you could help him and I didn't think he'd be too happy to know that Rainbow Raider was still hanging around."

"When we first found you in STAR Labs, we didn't know what had happened to you so I, like when we were first treating Barry, ran some tests on you," Caitlin continued. She was silent for a moment. "Like a blood test. The tests I ran were to see how the accident altered your molecular state or to find any other deformities due to the dark matter. But, I also found something else."

"Oh?" Averey asked. With each hall they passed, Averey swiveled her gaze towards it, trying to find the quickest way away from the woman. Maybe she could find a bathroom on the way and duck inside. Anything to give her just a bit more time. But Caitlin was smart, and she was stubborn, she wouldn't drop this subject now that she had brought it up.

"Sooo..." Caitlin held out the word, prompting Averey to finish her thought for her.

Letting out a big breath of air, Averey squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "Barry's my brother," she revealed as she stopped walking to face the brunette. "My half-brother, actually. We share the same dad."

"Henry Allen," Caitlin said, her lips pursing just slightly. "Does Barry know?"

"Huh-uh." Averey shook her head back and forth. "Dad said he wanted to be the one to tell him. I just found not too long ago; I didn't know I had a brother, I just knew my dad was here somewhere." She reached her hands up to her head and clasped her hands behind her neck. "You've known for a long time, hey?"

"Since Farooq broke in, yes," Caitlin admitted.

"Well, at least I have someone to talk to about it now," Averey commented, dropping her arms down to her sides with a soft _slap. _"I really needed that."

"Your secret's safe with me, of course," Caitlin said with a half smile. "Both of them, I might add. It does explain something though, like the fact that both you and Barry seem to be such big Lady Gaga fans." She parted her lips in an amused grin.

"That's not genetics, that's just good taste in music," Averey replied, putting her hand in the air. They entered the Cortex and were greeted by Dr. Wells and Barry who were both staring at the big screens mounted on the walls, watching as the picture panned slowly across Jitters.

"I just can't believe he'd threaten Iris like that," Barry said, his hands up to his mouth. "And Joe just wants me to focus on Snart." He shook his head back and forth and turned to face Dr. Wells. "I can't do that. Snart isn't as bad as the Reverse Flash."

"Well, he _did _derail a train the last time we saw him," Cisco pointed out. Barry looked at him out of the corner of his eye and he put his hands up defensively. "Just saying."

Averey shoved her hand into the air as if waiting to be called on by a teacher. "Who's Snart?" she asked.

"Thanks, Cisco, for your impeccable timing as usual," Dr. Wells commented, removing his glasses from his face. He held them up towards the ceiling and glanced at the lenses before settling them back onto his nose. "I will admit I am a bit surprised he has returned to Central City and had not even tried to steal anything this time. If he was making a trap for you like you say, Barry, its best we give him some attention." He then turned his attention to Averey. "Leonard Snart is an old foe of ours. He's been wanted by the police for many different crimes; theft mainly."

"He stole from us once, too," Caitlin added quietly.

"And he's still following his usual plan; get as much intel on a place as possible, carry out the job, get in, get out, no one's the wiser," Barry said, stroking his chin with his thumb. "Only he was spotted fleeing this garage _filled _with imported sports cars and didn't take anything. That doesn't make sense unless he was trying to get me to rush over there as fast as possible." He blinked. "No pun intended."

"He still has the Cold Gun, too," Cisco said with a frown. He let out an odd laugh. "You know, I personally thought the guy was void of all feeling, so why would he need anything to make him colder?" His upper lip cured just slightly. "Pun _definitely _intended." He turned towards Barry. "And I'm still, so sorry that I made that, Barry. I really didn't—"

"It's ok, Cisco," Barry said, interrupting Cisco as he scratched the back of his neck. "Really." He cracked a wry grin. "Maybe we could've used it when I was whammied, huh?"

"Not funny," Dr. Wells and Caitlin replied in unison.

"In the light of the Reverse Flash making another appearance so soon, I do think, Barry, that it's important that we keep your focus on your training and getting faster," Dr. Wells explained. Barry opened his mouth to protest. "I understand you don't want to prioritize one over the other, but no one ever said we'd be dealing with one threat at a time, Mr. Allen. Quite frankly, if you don't focus on your speed and reflexes, you won't be able to stop either of these two threats and I know that is not what you want."

"You're right," Barry agreed with a nod, "it's not. I just don't know what to do." His lips pulled downwards into a frown. He suddenly started talking in a gravelly voice; whether it was because of how late it was or due to emotion, Averey wasn't sure. "Putting my focus on Snart or the Reverse Flash, neither of them feel like the right answer."

* * *

Stepping out of the elevators at Mercury Labs, Averey made a beeline for Gavin's office. One trip to the building and she certainly could act like she owned the place; she remembered where every room was. Clutching her bag tightly to her side, she stepped into his office, briefly rapping her knuckles on the door as she did so.

Being around her roommates any longer than she could before and after their differing work schedules wasn't a part of her plan, but they all lived together; there was only so much excuses she could make to miss their calls, ignore their texts, or even pretend like she didn't know they were in the house. They hadn't made her do anything else for the gang yet, but that didn't mean they had just forgotten about her and she knew she couldn't forget about _them _either.

She knew she'd have to face them eventually and what better reason to help out a friend who was doing so much for her? Maybe things had settled down with them and she really wouldn't have to do anything big. She was only an 8 (who knew that a number could define her that much), what sort of responsibility would she really have in the gang?

"Nice to see you," Gavin said over the loud clacking of his computer keyboard. His gaze shifted back and forth between the stack of papers beside him and his computer screen. "You haven't been around that often."

"Yeah, I've been busy," Averey replied, standing in the doorway. "Picking up extra shifts at Jitters."

"I heard about the incident," Gavin said, his eyebrows lifting. "I didn't think Jitters would be hit in such quick succession." He briefly set his gaze on her. "We were all worried about you, you know; Case, B, and I. We're glad you're ok."

"Because you need me, right?" Averey asked, suddenly annoyed. Between his acting like everything was normal and the Reverse Flash threatening her, she was starting to get angry. She was mainly angry at herself for being easily scared into not being able to stand up for herself. She could talk up a big game but when it came down to it, she'd fold like a napkin. But she was putting her foot down and would help Caitlin in any way that she could. "Well, I need you, too. I need a favor."

"Really?" Gavin's eyebrows lifted. "What kind of favor."

"My friend needs to talk to Jason Rousch and I heard he was newly hired here," Averey explained and Gavin settled back in his seat, giving her his full attention. "Is there any way could set up a time with her that they could talk?"

"Who needs to talk with him?" Gavin asked.

"Caitlin Snow," Averey replied.

"Of STAR Labs?" Gavin asked.

"I promise she's not trying to probe for any secrets or anything," Averey said, stepping up to his desk. "She just wants to talk to him."

"The last time Mercury Labs had anything to do with STAR Labs, a prototype of ours was stolen out of your laboratory," Gavin pointed out. His eyes narrowed slightly before he reached for his pen from the pen cup sitting to his right. He started quickly writing on a notepad that sat by his pone. "I'll see what I can do. Was that all you needed?"

"No," Averey said, reaching into her bag. She set the light Jitters coffee cup down onto his desk. "I don't need this and I don't want it."

"I don't drink coffee," Gavin said, glancing at the cup and then back at her. "It's too rich for me, if you know what I mean." He pushed the cup back towards her with the tip of his finger. "I'm sure you can find some use for it. Think of it as a reward for a job well done."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "No, I'm not keeping it." She pushed the cup back towards him. "You planned the whole thing, you deal with it."

"Ok, I'll tell you what," Gavin said, putting his hands in the air. "I'll write you a check for the same amount, and fill it out for you," he said reaching for his desk drawer. "You'll be getting the money out of my account; no harm, no foul. I mean, it's not like you can quietly slip it back into the register at Jitters right? The sales wouldn't match and you wouldn't want to do something stupid like…use it to pay for your friend's broken computer, right?"

Averey opened and closed her mouth. "How did you know that?" she asked. She had been thinking of using it to get Iris a new computer, but she couldn't do through with it. Why she had even kept the money for this long was beyond her, but there was no way she could go through with it even if it was a quick way to get rid of the money. Deciding on using her own saved up money for the purchase put her mind at ease.

"You really haven't figured it out yet, have you?" Gavin asked, looking up at her. All of the arrogance was gone from his face. He looked like the "Old" Gavin, curious, open, and watchful. "For someone who has amazing vision, you have real trouble seeing something sitting in front of your face."

Averey's eyes narrowed as she looked her roommate over. Her eyebrows angled towards each other as Gavin leaned back in his chair, silently regarding her. "…You're a metahuman," she said to him.

"If that's what all the 'cool' people are calling it," he replied with a slight nod of his head. "I like to call myself a data analyst." He stretched his arms over his head, peering around her towards the door. "It's my job. Close the door, please?"

Averey stared at him, taking steps backwards towards the door. She reached behind her and shut the door with a click. "How?" she asked. "How do you do it?"

"I don't really know," Gavin replied with a shrug. He lifted the coffee cup and spun it around in his hand until the label faced him. "That's what the doctors at Belle Reve are trying to figure out. But, it comes in handy. Because of this ability, I've found that committing these crimes are pretty easy. It's as if things just disappear without a trace."

"They said they couldn't find any finger prints at Jitters," Averey said quietly.

"It's part of what I can do," Gavin replied with a shrug. He set the coffee cup down, clasping his hands together on his desk. "Every fingerprint, any tear, spittle, any type of body fluid or contact that anyone leaves on a surface says so much about them. It leaves some kind of code of people behind. Data. All I have to do is get in contact with that, get someone to talk and it's like I know their whole life story. If I want to see that much."

He lifted his hands and waved them around his head. "It's like…I can see pictures, flashes, of what memories they have, or I can see exactly what they're thinking of when describing places, like their homes, or people, like their family." He pointed a finger at her. "Like yours for example. You're right, you never told me about your home or your parents. You didn't have to; when you talked about Australia, it's what you were thinking of at the time. I could see it as vividly as if I was standing in front of your front door. All I had to do was touch a plate you used or even a cup."

"And the playing cards left at Jitters?" Averey asked.

"I can make sure I don't leave any part of my 'data' behind," Gavin replied with finger quotes and a shrug. "No fingerprints. So you don't have anything to worry about with that. They won't trace it back to us."

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked. "Robbing stores and banks?"

"You may see this as a bad thing, but I have good reasons for it," Gavin said with a sigh, suddenly looking solemn. "Not everything is split up into two categories; good and bad. Sometimes it just is."

* * *

**A/N: **I hope Gavin's powers make sense. I was thinking about it for a while about whether or not that I was going to have him be a metahuman and ended up deciding on it to explain a little bit as to how manipulative he could be. The answer to why he's that way, will be explained as well.**  
**

_Ethan: _You really got through this story quickly and I'm glad you're enjoying it. I had actually changed part of this chapter in the explanation for the fingerprints not being found. It was originally going to be from Barry's point of view in his lab at the CCPD, but then I came up with this. I hope it makes sense._  
_

_Kellie:_ I love writing shad Harrison. It's just so much fun. That plot point with Barry really comes into the story more very soon. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

_Guest: _Thanks for reading and I'm glad you're liking what I'm doing with Averey.


	19. Not the Only One with Eyes Around Here

**-Chapter Nineteen-**

**"I'm Not the Only One with Eyes Around Here"**

"Come on, Barry," Averey whispered stepping into his laboratory. "Where'd you leave them?" She passed by metal shelving filled with boxes and stacks of papers and made her way to his cluttered desk. If it wasn't for the desktop computer monitor poking up through the pile of papers, empty Jitters cups, and post-it notes sitting on the desk along with something glittery that caught her eye.

If anyone had ever told Averey that one day she would be trying to avoid being caught by the police as she snuck through the halls of the Central City Police Department in search of something to steal, she would've…well…how would anyone respond to something like that?

Being in a police station was nerve wracking enough, but at night, it was even creepier; kind of like going into a church by a church at night alone. The dark corners looked even more sinister, the hallways looked even more endless, and the familiar feeling of being lost and the suffocating _I need to get out of here_ thoughts came crashing back. Averey's feet instantly turned, readying herself to get back out the way she came in, but she knew she couldn't do that. She not only had to live with whatever consequence she'd face whether or not she agreed to partake in the theft (risking her family was not an option, she had inadvertently given her too much information), but she still had to live with these people.

"A snow globe." Pulling her hand back into the sleeve of her long black shirt, she gripped the item and lifted it, turning it around in her hand. It was a snow globe of London. A flag was waving at the top, overlooking a castle-looking bridge that a red double-decker bus drove over. The words at the bottom read "Tower Bridge – London." Averey smiled as she shook the globe watching the confetti inside swirl around. Tilting it to look at the bottom in the light she saw the initials N.A. with a heavily faded date written beside it.

"Oh, shoot!" Averey scrambled to grab the globe as it slipped out of her hand. It hit the floor with a _thud_ and skidded away from her. She hurried after it to grab it, nearly colliding with a giant corkboard on wheels. Carefully inspecting the object—that plastic really could hold up—she stepped back and really took a look at the board. Newspaper clippings and images covered the corkboard with red string connecting each piece. "Bloody hell, Barry."

"Doctor Murders Wife", "Domestic Violence Kills One", and "Doctor Given Live Sentence" stood out amongst the many headlines—some with bad medical puns, too. Each was pictured with Henry and who was obviously Nora Allen. N.A. "This must be hers," Averey said, looking over the bottom of the snow globe again before looking up at Henry's picture on the board. She could see the fear, anguish, and confusion on his face as he was lead out of his house in handcuffs, a police officer on either side of him. She could feel the cold steel of the handcuffs tightening on her wrists all over again.

Clenching her teeth together, she made up her mind: if Barry was going to defeat the Reverse Flash and prove that their dad was innocent, she had to do her part in keeping him safe and focus on that goal. He already was stressed having to decide between the Reverse Flash and Leonard Snart; he didn't need the Royal Flush Gang breathing down his neck, too. She was sure they'd be able t find out about him if and whenever they wanted and she sure as hell would be at fault.

Setting the snow globe down on the table a little harder than she intended—but back in the same position she found it—she continued to scour through the room, looking high and low until she came upon a glass case.

"Bingo!" Averey cried as she spotted the playing cards sitting on a shelf in a plastic bag next to other plastic bags filled with objects like buttons, patches of cloth, and vials of some clear liquid. "Or guess I should say 'Royal Flush'." She made a face at her own joke before carefully opening the door, grabbing the plastic bag. Using her shoulder to close the door, she quickly pulled the playing cards out of the bag and tucked it into the cuff of her shirt, shoving the evidence bag into her pocket.

"Hello?" Footsteps slowly stepped towards the forensic lab. "Anybody there?" Eddie's voice cut through the silence of the building.

Averey looked around the room, trying to find a way out. Window; too messy and too high up, door; caught in seconds. So she could only hide. Ducking into the corner, she peered around the corner as a white lightly slowly appeared growing larger and larger until Eddie stepped into the room, a flashlight in his hands.

"Hello?" he called again. Averey turned her head and pressed her mouth into her shoulder, trying to keep her breathing as quiet as possible. A rush of heat swept over her body bringing a prickly sweat to her armpits. Eddie let out a long sigh, running a hand over his face. "You're hearing things, Thawne. You need to get some rest." Eddie stood still for a moment, staring out the window before he turned on his heels, making his way out of the room.

"Phew." She closed her eyes and an image of the building design appeared in her mind. Boxes and rectangles sat out in front of her, mapping out the rooms of the Central City Police Department. She was in Barry's science lab now, and directly underneath her were the main offices and interrogation rooms. It wouldn't take Eddie that long to get back downstairs.

With a sharp shake of Averey's head, the building layout image changed to her view from the rooftop, overlooking Central City. The snow fell over the view and she could practically feel them landing on her. Barry's arm came into view as he pointed and said, "_I think I prefer the view from my office though. I have a lab at the top of the police station_."

"_You've got a high rise_." Averey could hear her own words repeated in her head. "_Your dad would be proud_."

Her eyes snapped open. Barry. She wished she didn't have to do this to him; he already had enough going on in his life, this was sure to put more pressure on him. Missing evidence couldn't help a case and from what she could tell, Captain Singh wasn't the most easygoing person the planet. _It is what it is, Ave,_ she thought to herself, _it is what it is._

"Sorry," Averey whispered to the room before climbing out of her hiding place. She followed the police detective's path out of the forensic lab, down the hall of administrative offices, and down the stairs into the wide open lobby.

A blue glow suddenly caught her attention. The thought of the place being haunted instantly entered her mind (who knew how many people could've had a crack at offing themselves while in custody), until she recognized it as computer light. Keeping herself hidden around a corner, she peered into the direction of the light, magnifying the image in front of her to find Eddie sitting behind his computer, arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face.

She almost laughed out loud. Here the guy was spending all his time, and clearly sacrificing sleep judging by the bags she could see under his eyes, trying to track down this gang, and she could direct him towards them right now. It could all be over in seconds. But the Royal Flush Gang had to have had more connections than she could possibly imagine. Not only would she get in trouble herself, even more so on a second offense, but they could still do something to her family for betraying them.

Here she thought her night would just be relaxing. Averey had been holed up in her room, trying to find out as much as she could about Belle Reve before her roommates had barged in, making their usual comments about her living like a vampire with how dark it was in the room. She hadn't learned much, just how the sanitarium (which she confused with sanitation and wondered why anyone would have a psych ward and penitentiary at a sewage place) got its name (it was French, or a Creole French translation, to "beautiful dream"), how it was practically out of business, and the strict discipline inside its walls to try and extricate regret from is prisoners. Even the images made it look like a depressing place with old fencing and empty guard towers.

But she couldn't get much else. She could only remember bits and pieces of her being worked on by someone. It had to have been at Belle Reve; it was the only thing that made sense. There was only one person she knew that could get her tine information she was looking for, but before she could start a call to Starling City, she was being given dark clothing and guided (more like pulled) out of the house and into a car, all with Gavin, Casey, and Brent talking to her at the same time.

Quickly walking out of the police department lobby, Averey made her way to a back hallway and shimmied out the only open window where Gavin, Casey, and Brent were waiting for her, wearing helmets (that she thought looked more like hockey helmets) blazoned with a K, Q, and J on the sides.

"About time," Gavin said as he pushed the window shut with his forearm. His voice was muffled before he removed the helmet from his head, revealing his face. As her first run in the gang, Averey wasn't allowed anything to conceal her identity. "Did you get it?"

"Right here." Averey replied. She uncurled her fingers and held her arm out, the playing cards sliding out from under the cuff of her shirt and into her palm. She slapped it into his outstretched hand. "Chuffed?"

"Uhhh, sure," Gavin replied with a short nod. He exchanged a confused look with Brent who just shrugged his shoulders, packing up his tablet and colored chords. "Let's go. Hurry."

Minutes later, they were in the car driving through the streets of Central City, putting more distance between themselves and the police department with every mile. Whether it was the car that was shaking her or it was her own body, Averey wasn't sure, but she wrapped her arms around herself anyway, trying to hold herself still and to give herself some comfort.

"It gets easier," Casey said with a sympathetic smile. She reached over and took Averey's hand, gently holding them in between hers. Averey frowned at the moist feeling of Casey's palms but didn't focus on it for long before Casey suddenly tightened her grip on Averey's arm, her fingernails digging into her skin.

"Ow!" Averey tried to pull her arm back, but Casey pressed her lips tightly together, yanking Averey forward in her seat. With a loud _click_, her seatbelt caught; the material cutting into her neck. She coughed, trying to pull back. "Case—"

"B, now!" Casey cried. Brent's big hand wrapped around Averey's wrist, holding her arm in place. "Hurry up!"

"Move your hand," he said through clenched teeth. A red glow filled the car before white hot agony ripped a loud wail from the Australian woman. The acrid smell of burning flesh filled her nose. Her chest tightened and she struggled to take in even one breath of air. Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision.

And then it was over.

Moans were the only sounds she could get past her lips as her arm dropped down to her side after Casey and Brent let her go. Averey grasped her left hand with her right and pulled her arm into her lap. Blinking hard, she looked down at her wrist in a haze where a bright red 8, was carved into her skin, surrounded by blisters and droplets of blood.

She grit her teeth trying to shift the throbbing pain from her wrist to her jaw. One thought repeated in her mind, bouncing off every corner of her skull: she was officially a member of the Royal Flush Gang and it (and the horrible smell invading the car) made her want to puke.

But doing whatever she could was a lifestyle that she, for the most part, had lived her whole life. She left her home country and took odd jobs here and there to find her dad without her parents knowing. That was a pebble compared to the boulder of what she was doing now. This was way more damaging and had a better chance of getting out of control. Nevertheless, she only had herself to blame and she had good reasons for it.

"All you have to do is just get in, get what we're looking for, and get out," Gavin had said when describing what she had to pull off that night. "You said you'd do whatever it took to get what you wanted." Clearly, he worked the same way; he had even talked about the stolen Jitters money without closing his office door or anything.

It was a smart tactic, risking giving himself up to make sure she wouldn't rat them out otherwise he could take her down with him. Casey had compared it to kidnappers showing their faces to those they abducted because they planned on killing them. "Only Gavin doesn't plan on killing you," she had reassured Averey. It didn't bring her much comfort.

Get in, get what she was looking for, and get out.

She could do that, only with a different prize in mind.

* * *

Cisco took a step back from the ballistics shield sitting on his desk, admiring his welding work when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He screamed, turning quickly towards Caitlin who screamed back in his face, jumping away from the flames.

"Cait!" he gasped, shutting off the welding torch before dropping it down onto his work area where it landed with a loud _clang_. He pushed his welding mask up off his face and turned towards his friend. "I'm _so _sorry. Did I burn you?"

"No," Caitlin replied, a hand over her heart, "you didn't." She gave him a half smile. "But it did warm up the place a little bit."

"Here I thought you liked the cold," Cisco said as he removed the welding mask from his head. "You and Ronnie were like fire and ice." He paused for a moment, locking eyes with her and they laughed quietly. "Literally."

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed with a nod. "So, uh, Averey got me some time to talk to Jason Rousch about F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M_._ I'll be meeting with him later." Cisco watched as Caitlin twisted her fingers together, rocking back and forth on her heels. In a minute she'd be biting her lip, the last step when her nerves were involved. It wasn't shown much, Caitlin was a very confident woman, but every now and then, she allowed a soft side to show.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he offered.

"I'm just worried about what he'll say," Caitlin said, moving to sit down in one of the few chairs in the room. "Ronnie looked like he was in so much pain." Cisco dropped down into an empty chair and grabbed underneath the seat, walking himself closer to her. "I can't imagine what he's gone through or how it felt having everything happen to him. I'm scared to know."

Cisco was silent for a minute. "Why?" he asked. "You want to help him, right?"

"Of course I do," Caitlin replied, looking taken aback. Reaching up a hand, Cisco watched as Caitlin reached up a hand and touched the bare skin where her engagement ring used to sit. She never wore it at work anyway, but the second her shift ended, she'd put it right back on. Cisco could tell Caitlin really was in love with Ronnie, but did her best to focus on her work when at STAR Labs. "It's just, Cisco, when Ronnie was still alive, I felt safe with him around. Like we were a team and we could do anything together. But I didn't feel safe around whoever, or whatever he is now. He looked so scared and desperate for help and I had never seen him like that before. I'm scared we won't be able to help him or we won't know how."

"You act like we really know what we're doing around here," Cisco pointed out. Caitlin's eyebrows angled towards each other, the corners of her lips pulling down. "Before the particle accelerator was turned on, we knew exactly what we were doing on any given day. Now we're helping Barry and Averey the best we can, but it's not like we were ever trained to do something like this." He lifted an eyebrow. "I mean, come on, I doubt you would ever play Operation if it wasn't for Barry."

Caitlin rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling, shaking her head. "That game is not as fun as the kids on the box makes you want to believe," she said as Cisco grinned at her annoyance.

"Just because you lost three games in a row…" Cisco said, putting his hands in the air. "I'm just saying."

Caitlin pursed her lips together before giving him a sweet smile, her nose wrinkling just slightly. "I'm sorry, but who was it that lost against Averey at the memory card game?" she asked. "And threw a tantrum?"

"I didn't throw a tantrum," Cisco protested, pointing a finger at her, "I was just explaining how it was cheating to use the reflections of—"

"You were playing against someone with a photographic memory and you're complaining about cheating?" Caitlin asked with a laugh.

"I take my card games very seriously, ok?" Cisco said. "I used to clean up in school with my mad poker skills." He lifted his hand and brushed at his shoulders. "Seriously, Cait, everything will be ok. I mean, we didn't think we'd have jobs after STAR Labs blew up, but look at what we're doing now?" He turned in his chair just slightly as he indicated towards the shied on his desk. "We're helping the city like we wanted."

"Just not like this," Caitlin said with a shake of her head. "I never thought it'd be like this."

"No, I guess not," Cisco agreed, pulling his lips to the side. A small _click_ hit the air as he did. "Bet my parents really got a kick out of it. They always said I was wasting my time with this." He waved his hand in the air before crossing his arms over his chest. "Guess I proved them wrong, huh?"

"You know they're just worried because they grew up differently than we did," Caitlin said, reaching out a hand to grasp Cisco's. He noticed how cold her fingers were as she gently squeezed his hand. "You should be proud of everything you've done."

"Oh, I am," Cisco insisted. Her parted his lips into a reassuring smile. "I mean, I've always wanted to work at a place like STAR Labs and I was so lucky to have Dr. Wells personally seek me out to invite me here." He let out a sigh through his nose. "For once, someone believed in me and what I wanted to do with my life. I liked that feeling. After the accident mom and dad practically begged me to come home and they'd help set me on the right path, but I couldn't leave STAR Labs behind. I made friends with you and Ronnie, and Dr. Wells taught me so much more than I could pursuing a music career or whatever it was they wanted like my perfect brother."

Caitlin peered at him for a moment before she slowly nodded her head. "Dante's birthday is coming up, isn't it?" she asked.

"And they're already planning for his big 'Thank God you were born with so many talents that we can brag about to the neighbors' fiesta," Cisco said with a roll of his eyes. "Right now their topic del dia is if the invitations will be embossed or embroidered." A Spanish accent crept into his voice.

"Well, there _is _a difference," Caitlin replied. "Ronnie and I were trying to decide the same thing for our wedding invitations." She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "That feels like such a long time ago."

Cisco closed his eyes. "God," he said quietly. "I'm sorry. You were talking about Ronnie and I made this about me."

"That's ok," Caitlin insisted, her eyes widening just slightly. "Really. But, I would appreciate it if you came with me to talk with Jason."

"Of course I'll come," Cisco said. He gave her a bright smile, which she matched of her own. "You didn't even have to ask." He tilted his head just slightly. "Was that why you came down here?"

"And because Dr. Wells asked me to bring you up to the Cortex to check on your progress," Caitlin replied.

"Oh. Oh!" Cisco jumped to his feet before making his way back over to his bench. He lifted the ballistics shield and showed it to her. "This should be able to keep the police, or Eddie's task force or whoever, safe from anything Snart sends their way." He ran a hand down the metal. "Should've made something like this a long time ago."

He heard Caitlin sigh and quickly jumped in before she could say anything else. "I know I shouldn't be blaming myself," he said, keeping his gaze on the shield in his hands. "But, I should have made something to counter this in the first place. I mean, I made the cold gun in the first place to counteract Barry's speed. I made his suit to counteract any heat that a firefighter could sustain. I should've thought ahead with this as well."

Maybe they should've thought ahead about the particle accelerator. He knew playing the "what if" game wouldn't change things. When it came down to it, they all should've been smarter. _He _should've been smarter. It was just something else he could add on to the ever growing list of things he had messed up on. Right under everything Hartley thought he did wrong and right before not talking Ronnie out of being a hero.

Cisco jaw suddenly started to hurt and he realized that he was clenching his teeth. As he slowly relaxed his mandible, he felt the rest of his body doing the same; his shoulders lowered from next to his ears, and his fingers relaxed their grip on the shield in his hands. It was his fault that Caitlin had lost her fiancée. Every day she came in depressed it made the knot of guilt in his stomach twist even tighter. How did you explain to one of your best friends that it was your fault the love of their life died?

"Are you coming?"

"Huh?" Cisco realized with a start that Caitlin was already making her way out of the room. "Yeah, I'm coming." He tucked the shield under his arm and followed her out of his work room. They passed by the entrance to the particle accelerator and he quickly lifted his hand and rapped twice on one of the metal supports, like he always did whenever he walked past.

It was kind of a good luck ritual he had done since he was a kid. Before and after starting his work on a project he would knock twice on something; kind of a good luck ritual that things would go well, or work out, or that he'd be able to think through a problem. With this knock, he sent out good vibes for getting Ronnie back safe and sound. If the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project really did what he had heard about, who knew just how different Ronnie was after the accident and what the project had to do with him and the state he was in now.

"Hold on, we have to get Averey," Caitlin said, stopping by a door. She punched a code into the box by the door and with a _hiss_ it slid open.

"_Heads up_!"

Caitlin quickly dropped to the ground as the familiar sound of a helicopter grew louder. Cisco lifted the shield in his hands up into the air, hiding as much of his body as he could behind the metal. He stumbled back when something collided with him with a loud _clang_ and more force then he imagined.

"Whoa!" Cisco lowered the shield and she and Caitlin stepped into the room to watch Averey jump into the air, catching the boomerang Cisco had given her for Christmas to use on the battlefield. A wall of cardboard boxes stood across from her with deep cuts and punctures in them.

"Ohhh, sorry," Averey apologized, pulling the corners of her mouth down, revealing her teeth in a cringe. She flipped the weapon in her gloved hands. "I'm still getting used to this."

"How's the training center coming?" Caitlin asked, wiping dirt off the hem of her dress.

"Cardboard boxes aren't really the greatest enemies, but it helps," Averey explained, walking over to them. "Need to suss out some things but soon this place will really be a training center." She set the boomerang down on top of a stack of boxes before starting to undo the yellow colored tape around her hands. "All right? What's up?"

"Dr. Wells needs us in the Cortex," Caitlin explained. "What happened to your wrist?" Cisco watched as Averey slowed in unraveling the tape from around her arm where a white bandage sat.

"Oh, this?" she asked, barely looking down at it. "Coffee burn. Probably could've used a cold gun for myself, yeah?"

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" Caitlin offered as Averey crossed the room to join them. She lifted her hands to adjust her ponytail. "Have you got it checked out? If you don't tape it right it could cause the blisters to tear and—"

"Actually, if you have some ointment," Averey said, interrupting her.

"Of course," Caitlin said with a smile. She placed her hand on Averey's shoulder before setting her gaze on Cisco. "I'll meet you up there." She started walking backwards, explaining to Averey, "Cisco and Dr. Wells have come up with an idea to help protect the police against Snart's cold gun. Joe's on his way over to take a look."

_No pressure_. Cisco thought as he showed the Australian his modified shield. No one ever just "took a look" at anything he put his name on. They analyzed and picked it apart until giving their final verdict. "Figured I had to do something considering I built the thing," he said to Averey with a fleeting smile as he continued on to the Cortex.

"Wait. _You_ built a cold gun?" Averey repeated as he hurried to fall into step with him.

"To stop Barry." Cisco nodded. "I didn't know him when I built it-it's not one of my prouder moments, trust me, ok?" As they moved through the halls, he could feel his anger and guilt building again. He couldn't help it. She was looking at him kind of the same way his mom did whenever she tried to get out of him why he didn't get an A on a test or an assignment.

"So what were you going to build for me?" she continued, lifting an eyebrow. "A supersonic flashlight?"

"No, I thought I'd let the sun take care of that," Cisco replied sarcastically. He quickened his pace, shaking his head. "No one will ever let this go, will they?" _Not like you can, Cisco._

"You're mad," Averey said to his back.

_What was your first clue_? He was sure she didn't need her eyes to figure that one out. Cisco stopped when he felt her small hand grab at the inside of his elbow. He pressed his lips together before turning around to face her.

"Sorry," she said, blinking. "It was just a joke, mate."

"I'm just not in a joking mood," Cisco replied with a shrug. Her eyes widened. "Yeah I know; with me, it's hard to believe. I'm the reason why Captain Cold even came to existence; I take full responsibility for making things harder for Barry."

"Think I have to take some responsibility," Averey commented. Cisco gave her a confused look and she gave a grin. "Come on; you think it's easy for Barry to have a 'sidekick' that's barely done anything to help? I might have perfect vision, but I reckon I'm not the only one with eyes around here."

Cisco laughed quietly and as they stepped into the Cortex, he realized that she was still holding onto his arm.

* * *

**_A/N:_** A Cisco/Averey one-shot deleted scene takes places between this chapter and chapter 20 called _Chemistry _has been posted. You can find it in the profile.

_Ethan:_ Glad you liked the idea. Although it was your questioning Barry taking the cards that made me think of how he could use his powers as a Metahuman.

_Kellie: _I don't know if I'll have Gavin have that same power, but your bringing it up, did give me an idea on how to use that Metahuman or this story. So thanks! I had actually taken out a line that alluded to him from this chapter (I had changed a lot about the opening scene), but I'm excited to write him.

_Guest: _I'm glad you like their relationship. More will be coming between Eddie and Averey, don't you worry. But now you have me entertaining the idea of shipping them. Haha


	20. Prove It To You

**-Chapter Twenty-**

**"Prove It to You"**

* * *

No matter how hard Barry stared at it, the spot would still be empty. The Jitters robbery evidence was gone.

"I…I just don't understand." Barry put his hands to his head. Tightly grasping his hair, he looked up into the angry an annoyed look on Captain Singh's face. "They were _right here_. I know they were."

Captain Singh crossed his arms over his chest, his dark eye shifting from a confused Barry Allen to the glass case he was standing beside, back to the crime scene investigator. "Look," Captain Singh said, putting a hand in the air, "I understand you're under a lot of pressure lately…."

_That's for sure. _Barry pressed his lips together, letting out a sigh through his nose. STAR Labs, CCPD, tests, crime scenes, training, Metahumans popping up everywhere, the Reverse Flash, his dad in Iron Heights; it was getting hard to keep everything straight. Even his own thoughts seemed to be racing through his mind faster than before. Yes, it did all make him late to things he needed to get to, but it never made him forget things.

"…to bring closure to these crimes." Barry blinked, shifting his attention back towards his boss. "We're all doing our best work on these cases—"

"What? And I'm not?" Barry asked, annoyance creeping into his voice. Captain Singh blinked. "I've been working on these cases, ok? _Just_ like everybody else!" He crossed his arms over his chest as well, tightening his hands into fists in his armpits. "I know I put the evidence from Jitters in here."

"Watch your tone, Mr. Allen," Captain Singh said after a moment of silence. "I'm not accusing you of anything."

"You wouldn't even be up here if I didn't give Joe the news that those cards from the Jitters robbery didn't have any fingerprints on them," Barry snapped. Except for Eddie's; he _was _the one who found the carefully placed evidence, but he Captain Singh's nostrils flared as he breathed in and out through his nose; a warning sign. But, Barry didn't care. He didn't need anyone accusing him of tampering with evidence or telling him he wasn't doing his job right. "You wanted me to do my job and I am. If that's not enough for you—"

"Are you sure you want to finish that sentence, Mr. Allen?" Captain Singh demanded. Barry pushed her jaw outwards, instantly feeling it tighten.

This wasn't the first thing he wanted to deal with first thing in the morning. As soon as he stepped into the precinct he was met with a bellowing "ALLEN" that echoed around the lobby, stopping everyone in their tracks. Barry had instantly spotted Singh standing on the balcony overlooking the lobby, beckoning him upstairs. As he had made his way upstairs, he quickly went through what he could've done to get on Singh's bad side already.

He was done with his part of the Leonard Snart case and there wasn't much else they could do with the Jitters theft, either. Not in his area of expertise anyway. Despite that, it seemed like Captain Singh had finally gone through the reports, or there was some conversation from the higher ups that made him decide to hound on Barry the moment he was seen.

The pressure was just becoming too much. He had too much on his plate; not that Captain Singh could know about everything what was really going on in his life. He thought cutting out CCPD business and focusing solely on getting faster—much to the vexation of Joe—would have everything fall into place and make things easier for him. Ha! As if things were ever really easy for him. Maybe a long time ago, but not now.

Something was moving faster, all right. All the thoughts and worry and guilt course through his body in faster succession then he had ever experienced before. Adding in anger to that concoction and he was bound to blow up like one of his past science experiments.

"That's what I thought," Captain Singh said in response to Barry's silence. He looked around the room. "Maybe if you cleaned up in here every once in a while you wouldn't misplace evidence you've collected."

"I _told you_, I put it right here," Barry said with an exasperated sigh. He reached out a hand and tapped his fingernails on the glass door. "I just don't understand where it could've possibly gone. That does make any sense."

"Well, 'I don't understand' isn't going to cut it when I have to explain this _to my boss_," Captain Singh said through grit teeth.

"Oh, boo hoo!" Barry rolled his eyes. "As if you're making things easy for me right now." He dropped his arms down to his sides and stepped towards his boss. "As if, you've made _anything _since I started working here, easy. You're always breathing down my neck, or making me feel like I'm not doing things fast enough for you. I can't move any faster than I am humanly possible." He had to hold back a snort at the comment.

The tension in the air crackled around them. It was the same electrified energy that made his hair stand on end, the same electricity he felt seconds before he ran so fast he created a sonic boom. He didn't know if he was involuntarily going to take off, or spontaneously combust or hat. Or maybe it was just his anger. It scared him; he had never felt this angry before at least not with someone who wasn't a metahuman or the Reverse Flash.

"I allowed you to work here as a favor to Joe," Captain Singh said quietly, tilting his head back just slightly to regard the taller man, "so he can keep an eye on you. You may have breezed through the educational program to obtain a position here—impressively so, Allen, but your constant lateness and these recent outbursts of aggression aren't doing you any favors."

"Well if you're all so worried about me, why don't you go have a talk with Joe about it," Barry said, his upper lip curling slightly. That was news to him and didn't make him feel much better in the situation. "I don't know what happened to the evidence from the Jitters robbery, I don't know how long it's been missing, and quite frankly, right now I don't care."

"Um—"

"_What_?!" Barry and Captain Singh snapped in unison, turning towards Eddie who was leaning into Barry's lab. His eyes widened at the sudden shout.

"Dr. Wells from STAR Labs is waiting downstairs," Eddie explained, stepping hesitantly into the room. "He's going to demonstrate the shield that was created to help us with Snart."

"Oh, right, right," Captain Singh replied, putting his hand up to his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok, I'm coming."

"Is everything ok?" Eddie asked, adjusting his tie with twitching fingers.

"Seems Mr. Allen has misplaced some crucial evidence from the Jitters robbery," Captain Singh replied, keeping his gaze on Barry who shook his head back and forth.

"A case I'm sure Eddie is just _dying _to solve," Barry added, shifting his gaze towards the detective. Eddie's eyes widened as the attention was suddenly put on him. It was no secret to anyone in the precinct that he had spent a good amount of time on his career on wanting to take down the Royal Flush Gang. And maaaaybe Barry was letting some of his frustrations with the older man out.

Ever since Barry first met Eddie he felt that the man was cocky, constantly looked for recognition for his work, and was probably more ambitious than anyone he had ever met. On the other hand, he was a great detective and worked well with Joe and Barry had to give him praise for that. It was no wonder that Iris was dating him.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Mr. Allen?" Captain Singh asked.

"Nothing," Barry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Just that I don't have any reason to not do my job correctly."

Captain Singh's lips parted into an odd smile as he nodded his head. "Right," he said quietly, "well—"

"Actually," Eddie spoke up, gaining the two angry men's attention once again. "I thought I heard noises up here the other night. I didn't see anything but…well, those cards have gone missing." He cleared his throat. "Apparently."

Captain Singh twisted his mouth to the side before turning towards Eddie. "I appreciate your gumption, Thawne, and all the hard work you've put towards this task force," he said, stepping over to the detective. He placed his hand on Eddie's shoulder. "But, I think you're working too hard. You have the next 48 hours off as part of the new 24-hour shift schedule."

"Excuse me?" Eddie asked. A confused look was on his face. Barry was confused as well. They had always ran on a 12-hour shift schedule; allowing everyone in rotating shifts to work two days, have two days off, and then three days off after the following two days of work. "Captain, I love my work—"

"After bringing up this unfortunate situation with the higher ups, as well as security footage missing, it's a solution they have quickly come up with," Captain Singh explained. He put his hands up in the air as Eddie started to protest. "It's not something I want, but we're all going to have to adjust." He let out a long sigh, shoulders slumping just slightly. He then looked at Barry with remorse. "I apologize for coming up short with you, Mr. Allen, as all of this was suddenly sprung on me around Dr. Wells arriving to help us with the Snart case."

Barry gave a short nod of his head. Captain Singh adjusted his tie and motioned for the two men to follow him out of the room. "Are you ok, Barry?" Eddie asked quietly, grasping Barry's arm to fall into step with him. "You look like you could use a couple days off."

_Look who's talking._ Barry could see the bags _under_ his eyes and the determination _in _them. It was only a matter of time before his late night working (or staring at a computer screen) would catch up with him. "M'fine," he replied. "Just tired of being Singh's personal punching bag."

"I'd offer you the one in the workout room but I haven't had the chance to get a new one," Eddie explained, giving Barry a small smile. He let out an uncomfortable laugh when Barry just stared at him. "It was a joke."

"Yeahhh, " Barry held out the word, making a face, "not a very good one."

"Sorry," Eddie apologized. "Sooo…I've seen how fast this Yellow Flash is and I know what you said you saw the night of your…well, you know." Barry pressed his lips together, but didn't say anything. "When I went up to your lab, I saw your board about your dad's case. I heard you said something about the man in the lightning that night."

"Look, Eddie," Barry said, putting his hand in the air. "I don't know what you want to say, but—"

"First, I wanted to say how sorry I am that something that devastating happened to you," Eddie said, talking over Barry. "It probably doesn't help, but, I know what it's like to have someone you care about ripped from you right in front of you. Anyway, I just wanted to say, maybe that Yellow Flash could've been here last night." Barry tried to hold back on making a face as they came up to the stairs overlooking the lobby of the police department. "I know, it'd be an odd thing for him to do."

_Maybe not_, Barry thought to himself. _He was there at Iron Heights, too. What's to say he wasn't here, either. _ "Thanks, Eddie," Barry said, shifting his gaze over towards Cisco who was dressed like a Ghostbusters wannabe with what looked like a jetpack on his back.

"I hope STAR Labs can pull this off," Eddie said quietly, standing on the stair above Barry. "Caitlin and Cisco are nice and all and are just doing their jobs but…this city really needs something to hope for, you know?"

"And you think capturing the Flash will help that?" Barry asked before he could stop himself. He turned to take in Eddie's silence and watched as the blonde's eyebrows lifted.

"You and Iris are a lot alike," Eddie commented, twisting his mouth to the side. Barry stayed silent. "I'm doing what I have to do to keep my city safe. You both are acting like I have a personal vendetta against the guy. I'm trying to do my job."

"God forbid someone try and help you out," Barry commented. Turning his head away, Barry felt himself smirk when he heard Eddie let out a sigh behind him.

"I know you haven't been that thrilled to have me around since I was transferred here," Eddie said to the back of Barry's head. "But, I'm really not a bad guy. I like to think my ego has been put in check. Since Iris talked to me about it at least." Barry gave a short nod of his head. "I don't know what else I can do to prove it to you, Barry."

With that final statement, Eddie continued down the stairwell getting back to work. Barry on the other hand, spotted Joe and Dr. Wells and made a beeline towards them. He could see the tension on their faces as he made his way over to them. That was just what he needed; two of some of the most important people in his life on each other's case. He could practically see Joe's vein throbbing in his forehead from where he stood. As Barry got closer, he managed to catch part of their heated discussion: "…Barry is the type of person that likes to help anyone in whatever way he can and making him sit out on this case is not like him."

"It's also not like you to give out freebies," Barry commented as he walked up to the two men.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Joe asked.

"Captain Singh told me that I only got my spot here as a favor to you," Barry replied. Joe pressed his lips together, letting out a sigh through his nose. "So, it is true. How could you not tell me that, Joe? It was bad enough I had to be lectured by him about keeping better track of the evidence in my lab, but then he had to drop that load of crap on me."

"Barry, can we talk about this later?" Joe asked in a tight voice.

"No, we're going to talk about this now," Barry insisted, spittle flying out of his mouth.

"Mr. Allen, I implore you that you save this discussion for later," Dr. Wells said, turning his wheelchair to face Barry's side. "I believe you could be experiencing the consequence of being whammied as you so eloquently put it. Let's go back to STAR Labs and speak with Dr. Snow."

"That explains it," Joe commented, rubbing the pads of his fingers over his beard. "Singh may rub you the wrong way, but not _that _much." He crossed his arms over his chest before looking over towards Dr. Wells. "You haven't figured out how to…un-whammy him, yet?"

"I know you're not happy with my decision, Joe," Barry said, cutting in before Dr. Wells could say anything. The scientist merely blinked behind his glasses, not seeming bothered by Joe's accusation. "But, it was _my _decision. Ok? The Reverse Flash is way more important than Snart is right now. STAR Labs have done what they can to help and my focusing on getting the Reverse Flash out of the way will help."

"Ok, maybe you should go with Dr. Wells before you say something you regret," Joe commented, his voice hardening just slightly. Barry instantly recognized it; it was his paternal warning voice.

"You're not my dad, ok?" Barry snapped. "You can't tell me what to do. The only thing I regret is not being fast enough. I regret letting this guy push me around like it was just a game to him." He let out a laugh of disbelief. "And I hate it when Singh does the same to me. He's always on my case and I'm sick of it."

"I understand your frustration, Barry—"

"No, Joe, you don't," Barry said, taking a step back from him. With that being said, he turned on his heels and made his way out into the cool Central City air. As soon as he was outside, he started to pace back and forth in front of the building, breathing heavily. His fingers curled into fists in front of him. _Calm down, Barry. Calm down. _With each breath he took, the cool air chilled him from the inside out.

"You look like you've got the world on your shoulders," Cisco said, announcing his presence as he stepped out of the police department.

"Wonder how fast I'd be able to run if I actually did," Barry said with a wry smile. _Not fast enough for Dr. Wells. _"Hey, what you and Dr. Wells made is incredible. Snart's not going to know what hit him."

"Let's just hope he doesn't get his hands on this new cold gun, right?" Cisco asked, sharing his smile. Barry caught his eye and the two of them laughed. "I really am sorry about building that, Barry, and didn't tell you; or anyone at STAR Labs until it was too late."

"No, Cisco, I'm sorry," Barry said to him. "You, and Caitlin, and Dr. Wells have done more for me than I could ever truly thank you for. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you guys." _Or Joe. _Barry chewed on his bottom lip as he looked back towards the building he left.

"Is your boss always like that?" Cisco asked. "Uptight? And kind of a dick?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "I swear, he made me feel like I gave the wrong answer in class or like I was stuck in a room with Hartley Rathaway all over again."

"He was told that everyone's supposed to start a 24-hour shift as soon as possible," Barry explained. "Some stuff was stolen from my lab last night."

Cisco's eyes widened. "Dude, seriously?" he asked.

"Eddie may think it was the Reverse Flash," Barry let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"What do you think?" Cisco prompted.

Barry slowly shook his head from side to side. "I don't know what happened. I don't remember if I locked the lab or what, but…it was just gone. And Singh was all on my case about it." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I just thought deciding to put this Snart case on the backburner would've made things easier to deal with."

"Nothing in life is easy," Cisco reminded his friend. "You just learn how to deal with it." He gently punched Barry's shoulder. "Anyway, I need to unload the rest of the shields. I'm meeting up with Caitlin later tonight. You going to be ok?"

"Yeah," Barry replied, sliding his hands into his coat pockets. "I just need to clear my head." Barry had no idea what the new year would look like, but it already felt like his time to do something with it was running out. There was still one person he knew that could calm him down and help put things in perspective. The next words that came out of his mouth were ones he hadn't said in a long time. "I'm going to go talk to my mom."

* * *

"Allen!"

Henry lowered the magazine in his hand before turning towards his cell doors, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark room in comparison to the natural light filtering in from his window. A corrections officer stood outside the door, key jingling in his hands.

"Yes?" he asked, swinging his legs from the window sill towards the floor. He stuck his thumb in his magazine to mark his spot, flipping the magazine shut.

"You have a visitor." There was a loud _clank_ as the lock was turned followed by a _squeak _as the door was pulled open. "Let's go."

"Thank you."

Henry stepped out into the hallway and allowed himself to be handcuffed before being led out towards the visitor's area. He was still getting used to how often he would be visited nowadays. For the longest time, he'd sit in his cell watching the sun rise over the tops of the buildings before it disappeared from view, shrouding him in darkness again.

Apart from his lawyers, Barry was the only one who would visit him. Then one day his daughter was sitting in front of him. Now he had more visits in the past few months than he could remember. It broke up his normal routine and gave him something to look forward to. But, he couldn't help but worry whenever he was notified of a visitor. He couldn't shake the memory of being told his son was in a coma and having to wait for nine long months to hear if he'd ever wake up.

Henry shuffled beside the officer, passing through doorway after doorway until he was allowed into the visiting area. He was directed to pod number four, and Henry spotted Joe West. Scrambling for the phone sitting on its dock, Henry dropped into the chair facing his old friend. "Is everything ok?" he asked nearly ramming the rounded mouthpiece of the phone into the side of his jaw. "What's wrong? Is Barry ok? Is Averey ok?"

Joe parted his lips and said in his low, smooth timbre, "Barry's fine." Henry closed letting out a sigh of relief, his body slumping over the small metal table In front of him. "Thank god." He then gave Joe a confused look. "Then, what's wrong?" A confused look appeared on Joe's face. "No offense, buddy, but you haven't really come just to chat," Henry explained. "It's normally on police business." He was silent for a moment, blinking. "Averey's not in trouble, is she?"

"No, no, she's ok, too," Joe reassured her. He ran a hand over his face. "Barry's been having a hard time lately," he explained. Henry crossed one arm over his chest, propping his elbow up with his wrist. He silently listened to Joe explain what had occurred at work. Henry had to admit, it was puzzling and worry some. Barry could be a stubborn person when he was angry, but he had never heard of his song being that cold. "He's been under a lot of stress at work lately and I don't know what to do or say to help him."

"Joe, you're doing so much for Barry by just being there for him," Henry explained. "You know that as well as I do. Kids will say things they don't mean, and at the time it'll hurt, but all the good moments make up for it."

"Sometimes, I just don't know if what I'm doing is right for him," Joe replied. "He's always needed you, Henry, and I tried keeping him away."

"You know, while I've been in here, I've had a long time to think about everything I had done in my life," Henry said, leaning back in his chair just slightly. "I've made a lot of mistakes, I'll admit, but one thing I've been incredibly proud of, and thankful for, was to have you as one of my best friends. That hasn't changed."

"How can you say that when I was convinced you did what you did to Nora?" Joe asked, his voice trembling.

"Joe, you weren't exactly thrilled when I had told you about my affair with Eleanor, either," Henry reminded his friend with a shrug of his shoulders. "But you were still there to listen when I needed someone to talk to. You've always been a great friend to me." Joe opened his mouth to protest and Henry put a hand in the air. "You're a linear thinker, Joe, and I don't fault you for that." He gave an odd smile. "Sometimes it drives me crazy, but I never faulted you for it."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to get back on your side," Joe apologized, shaking his head. "I should've known—I did know you could have never done anything like that to Nora."

"I know how it looked, Joe," Henry said. "I can't really blame you for thinking the way you did. It hurt that it took you so long to believe me, but at the same time, I understood." Henry made a humming sound in the back of his throat. He bowed his head for a moment before looking back up at his old friend. "You know, with how things had gone down years ago, I was always worried about how Barry would turn out. I've heard so many times over the years how kids with parents incarcerated can end up the same way."

"I know he ran away a lot to try and see me and I know he's dedicated his whole life to my case. He should have been growing and learning without having to worry about what people thought of him because of me. He shouldn't have had his whole life already planned out for him from one single event that happened fourteen years ago." He let out a long sigh. "I realize now I had nothing to worry about; I knew you'd do a fantastic job looking after him. Maybe I was worried about the wrong kid."

"You know Averey had been arrested?" Joe asked.

"She told me," Henry said with a nod.

"Did she also tell you that it was my partner that had arrested her?" Joe asked, his lips forming a thin line of humor. Henry felt his eyebrows lift and he couldn't help but let out a laugh. How things have turned out he never would have imagined in a hundred years. "Yeah, I know. Averey's not a bad kid; you shouldn't blame yourself for that." He couldn't help but think about it; he had plenty of time to think back about everything he had done in his life.

"Why haven't you told Barry that Averey is his sister?" Joe asked, a curious look on his face. Henry sniffed. He saw that question coming eventually whether it was from Joe or not. He had to thank his friend, though, for keeping the secret to himself all these years, just like he had asked. "Honestly, I'm surprised he hasn't figured it out. I think he's just been too busy to really think about it, but still."

Henry shifted the phone from one ear to the other. He tightened and relaxed his grip on the plastic, his palm getting warm and sweaty. "Nora and I were going to tell him that one time she was visiting Central City," Henry explained. He scratched at the side of his jaw, his gaze shifting from the clock on the other side of the glass, to the door to the guard standing watch, and back at Joe. "He and Iris got along well with her during that visit, but then Barry's dog had died and everything was so crazy…"

"Oh yeahhh," Joe said, slowly nodding his head. "I remember." He gave a short chuckle, his lips twisting into a half smile. "Barry had begged me to arrest the guy who was driving the truck."

Henry couldn't help but smile as well. It was just like a little kid to think that way, but Barry was devastated. Henry could only hope that he never saw his child that upset again and looked at what happened. "Nora and I were going to tell him when he got older and then I never thought there was a good time," Henry explained. He pressed his lips together for a moment. "It still doesn't feel like there is." A lump suddenly formed in his throat. He swallowed repeatedly, trying to make it go away, but like his past, he knew it never truly could. Not in this moment. "I don't want to give Barry another reason to have everybody talking about him and making comments. He's already had to go through people whispering about him and knowing him as 'The Boy Whose Father Went Crazy'."

Henry smiled. "Shortly after Barry woke up from his coma, he told me he was proud to be my son and to keep my last name?" he asked. Joe's lips parted into a wide smile. "That was one of the best moments I have had while I've been in here. I know he meant that; Barry has always meant what he says." His smile faded just slightly. "Being here doesn't scare me as much as the thought of Barry's opinion of me changing scares me. I've always been scared that telling him would change everything."

"I'm sorry," Joe said quietly. He gruffly cleared his throat. "For everything."

"Me too," Henry replied, feeling a hot tear slide down his cheek. "Me too. Just look out for my kids, ok? Please."

"Of course," Joe said as he used the cuff of his sleeve to dry his eyes. "You know I will, Henry." He moved to put the phone up, his hand shaking.

"Joe," Henry said into the phone. Joe stopped what he was doing and put the phone back to his ear. "I haven't said this before, but you're doing a great job with my son. Thank you for loving my son and for always being there with him and for him." Joe nodded his head. "I just wanted you to know."

Joe smiled.

* * *

**A/N: **Haven't brought this up in a bit: check out the Flash fics, _Flash Fire _and it's sequel, _Crossf__ire _(on this account), and the fic _The Mark of Sage_ by Crystal Manning. We'll be soon tackling a crossover that combines the main characters from all three Flash fanfics together called _Flashpoint. _

**Review Replies:**

_Ethan: _Yep, Ronnie will be coming back very soon and will be seen more from that point.

_Kellie: _I've already written out a part where Henry will see them together. I'm thinking it won't be until the episode with Peek-A-Boo but that might also be too long of a wait. I haven't fully decided yet, though.

_Guest: _Thanks for reading.

_babyj: _Sometimes, I wonder if you can read my mind. haha. As I read your review, i was in the middle of working on the opening scene with Barry. Joe and Iris get bigger parts as the story goes on but the next chapter does start focusing on Iris more.


	21. I Shot Him in the Back

**-Chapter Twenty-One-**

**"I Shot Him in the Back"**

* * *

"Eddie is _not _a serial killer. Trust me."

"Have you even taken the time to get to know if he is or not? People change once you move in with 'em."

"I can guarantee you that I'm _not _a serial killer," Eddie said as he stepped across the threshold of the apartment. He set the cardboard box in his hands down onto the carpeted floor of his apartment. _Their _apartment.

Sitting down on top of the closed lid, Eddie looked around at the other boxes sitting in every corner of his apartment. He had clearly underestimated just how much stuff Iris had. Even when she stayed over for a few days she barely brought anything. Then again, he _was _"missing" a few shirts and they _did _always come back smelling springtime fresh. "I thought you were here to help Iris move in."

"Appearances are deceptive," Averey said with a smile. She was standing in the center of the room with her arms crossed over her chest. "And I _am _helping; I'm looking out for her." She turned her attention back to Iris. "You started going out with him when Barry was in his coma, yeah? He could've seen you in your time of need and _swooped in_ when you were vulnerable. You have to be careful about these things."

"Gee, thanks," Eddie said, sarcastically. "Give me more credit than that."

"You watch too many cop shows," Iris commented with a shake of her head. She sat on the floor unpacking a box of newspaper wrapped mugs.

Averey shrugged. "I'm just saying." Waving a hand in the air, she said, "Besides, I just don't want to help unpack and find a pair of fuzzy handcuffs or something." Iris's eyebrows lifted and she scratched at her hairline. Eddie let out an odd cough, suddenly finding an interest in the wall art facing him, wondering if it was crooked or not. Averey let out a loud laugh. "Wow, you actually have some. I would've never guessed."

Iris bloomed a darker red than the make-up on the apple of her cheeks. "You haven't done anything like that?" she asked, giving her a challenging look. Yep, it was definitely crooked. Eddie jumped to his feet and crossed the carpeted flooring to the painting, gently pushing the frame this way and that.

"I've gone through one experience with handcuffs," Averey said. Eddie looked over his shoulder at her and caught the smirk that as on her face. "I don't plan on doing that again anytime soon."

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" Eddie asked, dropping his arms to the side.

"Considering Australia was founded as a place for Britain to send their criminals in 1788?"Averey asked, her nose wrinkling as she thought. "History was bound to catch up with me, so, never."

Iris laughed. Eddie couldn't help but chuckle, either. At least she could laugh about it, now. It brought him some comfort, but at the same time, it made him uncomfortable. He had acted quickly, he barely thought about the consequences of his actions, and even now it was dictating how he worked for the Central City Police Department. She wasn't the only one who brought up his past in Keystone. While he wished he could leave it all behind, he knew that wouldn't be the case.

Eddie had the lights on his unmarked car and siren sounding in short bursts as he had sped towards the shoe store where the shoplifting call had originated from. Sitting in the passenger seat, he had a stack of manila folders, some thicker with more papers than others. Each folder had detailed the person and previous crimes for the ones he had been chasing for a long time.

Voices had been relaying commands and codes came in through his radio system as he neared the store. Right turn, left turn, straight for three blocks, and another right turn and he was pulling up in front of a show store in Keystone City.

A second car, lights flashing, had pulled up beside him and out jumped another detective, pocketing his car keys. Doing the same, Eddie climbed out of his car, taking in the scene before him. Uniformed police officers were directing the flow of pedestrian traffic to keep the area clear, members of the CSI unit were already inside, walking around the store talking to a couple of the workers inside.

"What do we have, Ross?" Eddie asked, stepping up to one of the police officers.

"Looks like a robbery," Ross replied, turning towards the two detectives. "Some shoes were worn out of store, shoelaces are missing, t-shirts, hats, backpacks. Some money." He shrugged his shoulders. "A lot of things to carry out items and to conceal identities. Sounds like the m.o. of that gang we've been trying to get. Don't be surprised if a bank robbery comes in next, that's usually what follows."

"Any witnesses?" Detective Hyland asked as he reached for the breast pocket of his coat to retrieve a small notepad.

"Everyone else in the store at the time of the robbery. They're being talked to right now," Ross replied, tilting his head towards the store front. "Some overheard the group at the dressing rooms say they were going out to pay after trying on clothes, and then they all walked out. They managed to keep one of the suspects inside in a back office. Name is Averey Moore."

"Good," Eddie said with a nod of his head. With quick long steps, he crossed the pavement, ducked underneath the yellow tape and stepped into the shoe store. A chime pealed as he stepped past the detectors and towards the back room. His smile stretched as he moved; he had them now. Finally.

News of the Royal Flush Gang had been thrown across his desk more times than he wanted. With each police press conference detailing a crime scene with them involved, the more he wanted them off the streets. He dedicated his career to that. Not only would he be doing Keystone City a big honor by getting the gang off the streets, he'd be doing his old partner a big honor.

Reaching for the handcuffs on the pocket of his detective belt, he held them at the ready. He rapped his knuckles on the only closed door before swinging it open. The room held two desks, both with computer monitors sitting on the desk. The shelving and metal cabinets were practically bursting with all the stacks of papers, lunch boxes, and discarded products housed on them. With a squeak, one of the swivel chairs sitting in front of the two desks turned around and he was face to face with a brunette who was sitting cross legged. A phone was to her ear, eyes shifting back and forth; Eddie could hear the faint sound of a dial tone before he could hear an automated message play.

"Damn it!" her accented cry reached his ears as her hazel eyes landed on him. "The one time they can't be bothered to answer their mobiles." She dropped her phone into her lap. "I promise I'm trying."

"Averey Moore?" Eddie asked, ignoring her excuse.

"Yes," the woman replied with a blink.

Eddie stepped forward and grasped her wrist, pulling it towards him. She was nearly pulled out of the chair from the movement. "You're under arrest for shoplifting and gang association," Eddie said as he handcuffed the woman.

"What?" Averey asked over the clatter of her phone as it hit the ground. Her second hand was pulled behind her back and the handcuffs were snapped on, tightened over her wrists. "I didn't do anything—you can't arrest me! They told me to come back here—stop!"

"Pictures don't lie, miss," Eddie replied, nodding towards the computer monitor near her. The screen was divided into four sections, each box showing a recording from the security cameras around the store.

Eddie proceeded to relay the Miranda rights to her before leading her out of the store. "Is there anything else you want to say?" he asked as he opened the back door of his car. "It's a long ride back to the precinct."

Her eyes, wide and filled with confusion and at the same time, understanding, focused on him before her body seemed to fold in on itself in a slump. "…Don't tell my mum." She stepped into the car and he slammed the door shut.

"Gotcha," Eddie muttered with a smile.

"Besides," Eddie snapped back to attention when Averey started talking again. He leaned against the wall and watched as the Australian girl pointed her index fingers in the air and them. "I'm not the lifting type; I'm better at direction and telling you where to put things and if things are crooked."

He had to admit, she did have a keen sense of detail. The living room set up looked better with the chair in the corner, the plants would get more light with where they were moved and the TV set up did look better with the shelving units on either side of the mounted TV. She had seemingly been able to incorporate Iris's belongings into his place and still make it feel like it was part his, one thing he was worried about since he asked Iris to move in..

"By the way," Averey said, tilting her head to the side, "I hope now that you're living together, you'll get rid of that couch because that pattern is an eye sore."

Iris lifted her eyebrows and gave Eddie a smile. He shifted his gaze away, wanting to miss her smug smile. She had been going on and on about how he needed to get rid of the couch. Not that she hadn't enjoyed a tryst or two upon it. Ok, so his gray and orange striped sofa wasn't up to date, but as far as couches went, it was comfortable and big enough to sleep on; that was all that mattered to him. He had owned the couch since going through the academy and it had gotten him through plenty of all nighters when he was too tired to get in bed.

"Told you so," Iris sing-songed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eddie said, matching her smile with one of his own. He then said to Averey, "thanks a lot."

"If there are things I don't like in life its arrogant people, the dark and obnoxious patterns," Averey replied, putting her hands in the air. She gave an over the top smile. "And you're 2 for 3."

"Ha ha," Eddie let out a mocking laugh. "Is there anything else in my apartment you want to criticize?" He regretted asking the question as soon as he did so as Averey started looking around the apartment. "Don't answer that," he and Iris said in unison.

"Just as well, I was thinking of doing a blog post about apartments here in Central City," Averey said with a smile that was half teasing and half apologetic in response to her previous action. "So thanks for letting me look around the place."

"Are you thinking of moving?" Iris asked.

"Maybe," Averey replied. "I haven't decided yet."

"Roommate troubles?" Eddie pressed.

"Haven't really lived with anyone since uni, and I think I remember why I don't," Averey replied with a short laugh. She snapped her fingers. "Oh! I have house warming gifts."

Eddie watched as she reached for her bag sitting on the kitchen table and lifted the flap, pulling out a big rectangle box, followed by a few smaller ones. "For Iris; a new computer." Something about that made him pay attention; call it his detective's instinct.

Iris blinked in surprise. "We—I—" she took the box in her hands, staring down at the picture of the computer. "Thanks. But, you really didn't have to do this." She made a humming sound in the back of her throat as she tuned the box over in her hands. "Oh, a terabyte hard drive."

Averey turned towards Eddie, handing him the smaller boxes, "and for Eddie, power outlets with USB ports so you can charge your phones and stuff." Eddie took the boxes, looking them over. "Reckon it'd help since you have your work phone and personal phones. And I couldn't figure out what else to get you."

"This must've cost you a lot," he commented, holding the boxes to his chest. It had to price at a couple hundred at least, maybe more with the added expense of the power outlets. "Just about what you'd make in a month working part time at Jitters, right?" Iris gave him a confused look, or was it of warning, which he ignored.

"I guess," Averey replied. "It wasn't that much and I felt bad that Iris's computer was smashed." She shrugged. "I was always told not to come to a person's house empty handed."

"And you couldn't get your hands full bringing in some of Iris's boxes?" Eddie asked.

"I can tell you where to put them, mate," Averey muttered. He snorted, allowing a small smile.

"That wasn't your fault, though," Iris said, changing the subject, setting the computer aside. Averey merely waved her hand in the air. "Thank you. This was very sweet of you."

"Yeah, thanks." Eddie wasn't too surprised that Averey would do something like that. After all, she did take the blame for the robbery back in Keystone. He still wasn't sure if that was a brave thing for her to do or not. "But with how much rent is and working minimum wage, it wouldn't be something you'd just buy."

"It's really no problem," Averey insisted. "I had the extra cash to spend."

_But from where? _The question was poised on the tip of his tongue, but Iris's look made him stop from asking it. Instead, he set the power outlets onto the kitchen table and he gave her a smile. "Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you," he said.

Averey took a step back from her, tilting her head upwards just slightly to look at him; the ten inch gap between his 5'11 and her 5'1 heights was even more noticeable than usual. "No worries," she replied. She shifted her gaze over towards Iris. "I should get going; I'm meeting up with Caitlin and Cisco and want to stop off at my flat first."

Iris got to her feet and gave Averey a smile before stepping over to Averey to give her a hug. "Thanks for helping out," she said, "even if you didn't lift a finger." She gave Averey a pointed look. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"I'll have a coffee ready with your name on it," Averey promised, grabbing her back, hooking the strap over her shoulder. Eddie's gaze drifted down towards her arm. Her shirt sleeve rode up from the movement, revealing the bandage wrapped around her forearm. As she adjusted her shirt, she said, "And one for you, too, Eddie."

"Thanks," Eddie replied. "I'll walk you out. I need bring in more stuff anyway." He stepped out into the hall after the Australian woman. As he pulled his apartment door shut behind him he asked, "Is everything ok?"

Averey stopped, her foot hovering in the air over the top stair. "Are you asking because you're curious?" Averey asked, wheeling around to face him. She stumbled, thrown off balance, and grabbed onto the stair railing to catch herself. She paused for a moment, making sure she regained her balance before straightening. "Or because you really can't put your job aside for even a few hours?"

"Once your skills are fine tuned you can't really stop," Eddie replied. He quickly thought on his feet. "And I'm asking about your arm. How's the burn healing?"

"It's been itching a lot, but its fine," Averey replied. As if her arm started to itch on command, she grasped her wrist with her free hand and started to rub at it with her thumb. "That means it's healing, so I've been told." She peered at him. "That's not why you're asking."

Eddie made a humming sound in the back of his throat. "I don't know whose perception is scarier; yours or Barry's," he commented, bowing his head for a moment. "I'm going to ask you again; are you in trouble?"

"Saw that coming." Averey swung her hair out of her face. "Are you always going to ask me that question?"

"Until I get the answer I'm looking for, yes." Eddie nodded his head. He wasn't exactly sure what he wanted to hear; a "yes" or "no" could take him down a different path. "And you haven't answered the question." Averey's eyebrow lifted just slightly. "Something's wrong with this picture."

Averey's twitched upwards and her lips parted just slightly as she chuckled. "Cute," she commented. "Here I thought you believed that pictures don't lie."

"You're right," Eddie replied, instantly recognizing his own words being thrown back at him. "And I also think they can be manipulative when you get the wrong impressions from them. Or, in yours words, their own opinions or versions."

He knew even those words could be thrown back in his face, especially as he was speaking to a photographer. He arrested her once and since having meeting her again he couldn't shake the thought that something was wrong, whether or not there was any evidence pointing towards it. Maybe he hadn't changed that much.

"You'll be the first to know if anything's wrong," Averey said, carefully stepping backwards, starting to make her way down the stairs. "But, thank you for caring." She lifted her hand in a wave before making her way out of the apartment building.

"No problem," Eddie said before twisting his mouth to the side. He heard the apartment building door close and reached for one of the boxes and lifted it off the stack. Grunting just slightly under the weight, he read the label on the side and wondered how anyone could have so many pairs of shoes. "I don't know who's harder to figure out sometimes," he said as he re-entered his apartment, "Averey or Barry. They're a lot alike that way."

"What's going on?" Iris asked, or rather, demanded, as she twisted around to face him. The silence between the two of them was filled with Iris quickly unwrapping the newspaper from a yellow mug. She set it down onto the floor to join the group of mugs already unpacked. "You were practically interrogating her. You can't force people to talk to you when they don't want to."

"You're not going to keep that computer are you?" Eddie asked, answering her question with a question.

"It's a little sudden I'll admit," Iris said with a shrug. "But, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. It was a nice gesture."

"Call it a detective's intuition," Eddie replied as he set the show box down onto the floor. "Your shoes. Or some of them, anyway." Iris kept her eyes on him as he strode over to where she was sitting. He lowered himself to the floor in front of her and started to help her unpack. He didn't have to look at his girlfriend to know she was watching him closely. Most likely with a pointed stare that demanded an explanation and maybe now with a hand on her hip. When he had enough of her silence he sighed and regarded her. Check and check; stare and hip. "Sorry. I can't just not work, Iris."

"Well, you're supposed to," Iris insisted. "Captain Singh gave you those orders." And he was mad that he did. Eddie sucked in a breath of air through his nose before letting it out, bowing his head. "I don't understand why you can't take just a little break. I mean, when was the last time you really had time off?"

"Three days ago," Eddie instantly replied. Only not really. He did have a full two days out of office, but he continued his work in the comforts of his own home.

"Eddie," Iris said quietly. "No you didn't. We both know even when you're off duty you're still working."

Eddie shrugged his shoulders. "And there it is," he heard Iris mutter. He was instantly on guard. "There _what_ is?"

"You! Shutting me out," Iris replied, throwing a hand in the air. It hit her jean clad knee with a _slap. _"Again. I know s_omething _is bothering you; that something is wrong, but you won't let me know what it is."

"Weren't you the one just telling me that I can't force people to talk?" Eddie asked, keeping his eyes on the mugs in the box. Iris grasped his wrist, stopping him from removing one.

"Don't do that," Iris said quietly. "I just worry about you."

"Yeah, well…" Eddie trailed off for a moment, his arms hanging over the side of the box. "Something's wrong, I can just tell. I worry about her." He laughed quietly. "Honestly, I don't know what to be more worried about. Averey or the fact that you and Barry don't seem to be all buddy-buddy nowadays."

"Barry's my best friend, we don't have to be around each other, 24/7," Iris replied with a shake of her head. "We can just pick up where we left off."

"That's true," Eddie agreed. He turned his hand under her grip and gently wrapped his fingers around her. He slid his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. "But, I've noticed this since your Christmas party. I understand you two have a history, and I'm trying hard to accept that, but I can see that something's not right between you two."

"I…" Iris closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. "Barry…he told me…" She used the fingers of her free hand to brush her hair out of her face before looking Eddie in the eye. "He told me he was in love with me."

Eddie blinked. He wasn't too surprised about it, but he wasn't expecting to hear those words, either. Barry and Iris were close, anyone could see that. Growing up in the same house, you'd have to be. There was just something about the way they were around each other that made him pay attention. All the inside jokes, the closeness, the longing looks on Barry's end; it all started adding up after a while. How Iris couldn't see it, he wasn't too sure; boys and girls couldn't always just be friends. It's not like all best friends lived with each other as they grew up, either.

"Say something," Iris insisted. "Does that bother you?"

"No, it doesn't bother me," Eddie said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Not really. Kind of. I kind of saw it coming. I mean, I did ask."

"That's true," Iris agreed with a nod of her head. "You did."

"So how do you feel about it?" Eddie asked.

"I—confused," Iris replied, her eyebrows angling towards each other. "I mean, Barry and I…I don't know how I didn't see it." Her lips pulled back into a slight smile. "He's my best friend. I saw how he was when he liked other girls. I don't know how I feel. I love you."

"I know," Eddie said with a small smile. "I love you, too." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "And I'm happy that you're moving in."

"Me too," Iris said, gently squeezing his hand. He watched as she slowly pulled her hand out of his. "But, if we're going to be living together, we have to be honest with each other." She blinked, searching his eyes. "Ok?"

Eddie closed his eyes. "Captain Singh wants me to take the next couple of days off because he thinks I've been working too much," he explained.

"Babe, you have," Iris replied. "Sometimes I'd wake up I the middle of the night and you'd be on the computer.".

"It's not that bad," Eddie protested

"_Eddie_." Iris pressed her lips together, letting out a heavy sigh. "You put yourself into your work all the time."

"As a future journalist, I thought you'd understand," Eddie said, reaching into the box. He roughly pulled the newspaper off of another mug. How many did she have? "You get all gung-ho for every Flash lead you get."

"That's different," Iris protested. "The Flash isn't the focus of my life. It's just a blog."

"And yet, I keep hearing The Flash come out of your mouth once a day," Eddie replied, setting the mug in his hands down a lot harder then he meant to. "Why is it ok for you and your blog, but it's wrong when it's my work?" Iris opened and closed her mouth. He licked his lips. "Some evidence from the Jitters case was stolen from Barry's lab. Evidence theft could close the precinct if it were to ever get out. I was there that night; I could be in big trouble for not noticing anything. They could have my job and that's the only thing I live for."

"Glad to know I'm not high on your priority list," Iris said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"I have to work, Iris," Eddie all but shouted. He was annoyed with the conversation. He didn't want to continue it, but he knew Iris wouldn't drop the subject. "Don't you get it?"

"No, which is why I'm asking," Iris replied. Her dark eyes were glittering with anger, confusion, and worry.

"When I joined the police academy, I made a promise to keep my city and my country safe to the best of my ability and that includes you," Eddie explained. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep the lump that was forming at bay. "Not just as a citizen of central city but as the person I'm madly in love with. This Reverse Flash guy threatened you and I'll be damned if I don't catch that guy and help keep everyone safe."

"Just being around you makes me feel safe, Eddie," Iris said. "That's enough for me."

"But not for me," Eddie said with a shake of his head. Iris reached for his hand and he pulled it back into his lap. "Not with this gang still out there and stealing from Jitters…"

"What happened with you and the Royal Flush Gang, Eddie?" Iris asked.

Eddie squeezed his eyes shut. "It was a while ago," he said to his hands, which were twisting in his lap. "My partner, Ian, and I were called to a warehouse that we had been staking out for months. Stolen goods were housed there, a whole treasure trove of things you couldn't imagine."

"We got there and we ambushed them and we thought we had all of them in custody. Only they had been recruiting. We didn't know who they had brought in to take over, we didn't even know they were until it was too late. Ian and I were chasing down a few of them, and I had been given clear instructions to bring them in no matter what."

His hands started to shimmer in front of him. One tear after another pooled together in his eyes before they spilled over the top, falling until they splattered against his hand. "The place was so big. I had looked over the blueprints for so long, but they knew it better. I was chasing one down this long hall; King. He was the main one e wanted because he was that much closer to Ace; the head of the gang. I was running after him, chasing him down. I told Ian to go around and corner him, maybe trap him from the other direction."

He lifted his hands and used the heels of his palms to wipe at his eyes, sniffing loudly. "I was so focused on getting King, I didn't notice he had a gun in his hands. He started firing at me and I ducked down behind these crates or something." His fingers were starting to hurt, he was squeezing his hands together so hard. He had gone so long without thinking about it. No, avoiding it. How long had it been since he talked about it? "He stopped shooting and I ran after him. I pulled out my gun…"

He felt himself mime the movement, turning his hand into a gun and pointed it towards Iris, as if on autopilot. "And I started shooting." His voice was shaking; more high pitched then he remembered it being, even during puberty. "One, two, three." He tilted his hand back as if his finger gun had recoiled after firing bullets. "King kept running and I kept firing. And Ian ran out from a side hall to take him down."

"Oh, no." Iris gasped. Eddie didn't look at her.

"He dropped," Eddie whispered. "Ian just dropped to the floor and King got away. I hurried over to him, but he was already dead." He let out an odd laugh. "All the times we were bullet proof vests…all the times they've saved us, and I killed him with a shot to the back of the neck." Eddie reached his hand back and placed his warm palm over the back of his neck, using his index finger to circle the spot he watched his partner's blood seep out of.

"It was an accident, Eddie," Iris said quietly. Barely above a whisper. "You didn't do it on purpose."

Eddie opened and closed his mouth, shaking his head. "M-my partner…Ian always had my back." His lips quivered. He swallowed over and over again. "And I shot him in his. In all my time serving, I had never done anything like that again, and I didn't want to." He let out a shaky breath of air before he started crying; shoulders shaking. "I wanted this task force, I did everything I could to get it, and my friends died around me because of it."

"Eddie…"

He felt Iris's hand on his shoulder, and he turned away from her. He hugged himself, hunching over until his elbows pressed into his knees. "I know everyone makes fun of me because I keep track of my arrests," he said. "I know it's stupid. I just do it to show Ian that I'm not making any more mistakes. I promised him that I'd get these guys off the streets and I will."

"Eddie." Eddie didn't respond. He heard a shuffling sound and soon could feel the side of Iris's leg pressing against his. Her soft hands encircled his face and gently coaxed him into looking up at her. The corners of her lips were shaking as she mustered the best smile she could muster. "I'm sorry."

Eddie placed his hands over top of hers. "So am I."

* * *

Jitters, strangely, wasn't that packed for a weeknight. Not even the usual college crowd was in that night so finding a place to sit was easy for Caitlin, Cisco, and Averey.

"Thanks for coming with me, guys," Caitlin said as she checked her phone for the umpteenth time before setting it back into her purse. Where was Jason Rousch? She turned in her seat to look out front windows of Jitters to see if the elusive Mercury Lab worker would be arriving soon.

"No problem, Cait," Cisco said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But, you can stop thanking us now."

"You right?" Averey asked, her chin resting in her hand.

A small smile came to Caitlin's face. "Just a little worried of what we'll hear," she replied. "That's all." She rubbed her arms and let out a sigh. "He said he'd meet us at this time, right?"

"Yeah, but I can double check," Averey replied.

Caitlin watched as Averey's eyes seemed to glaze over. Her body stilled and she stared at a spot over Caitlin and Cisco's shoulders. "Whoa," Cisco said quietly. Caitlin blinked before she felt her eyes widen. "Whoa" was right. Averey's eyes quickly shifted back and forth, up and down, and diagonally. Almost like she was looking through files on a computer screen. Squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head, she confirmed the information.

"Um…that was some crazy ish right there," Cisco said. At least someone could find their voice.

"Yeah, what were you doing?" Caitlin asked.

"Oh." Averey gave a sheepish grin. "I have photographic memory, yeah? I kind of went through the 'files' of memories to…'replay' when I was checking my e-mail to see if he would meet."

"That's amazing," Caitlin said, shaking her head back and forth. She worked in the field of science for so long, she would never had imagined that she'd be experiencing something like this. Working at STAR Labs, she knew they'd be making some exciting discoveries but nothing like this. And seemingly, not every day. "It really is."

"Well, well," a voice said, catching Caitlin's attention. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised I didn't get an invitation to this STAR Labs powwow." Caitlin looked up at Hartley Rathaway as he came to a stop beside their table. His usual smirk and cool gaze was on his face. "Caitlin. Cisco. Nice to see you again.

"Nice wouldn't be the word I'd use," Cisco replied.

"No, I suppose not," Hartley replied with a sniff before pushing his glasses up his nose with his index finger. His gaze flickered over towards Averey. "Although, I will admit I'm surprised you actually allow anyone else into your little club."

"You're the one who excluded yourself, Hartley," Caitlin replied coolly. "We were all a team, but you insisted on working on your own."

"Because I know I'd get work done," Hartley replied. He clasped his hands in front of him, angling his head towards Cisco. "Unlike those who like to joke and fool around during work. Right, Ciscquito?"

"You're Hartley Rathaway," Averey spoke up before Cisco could say anything.

"Yes," Hartley replied. He looked her up and down, his eyebrows lifting. "Why?"

"Just trying to place you, mate," Averey replied, copying his motion. They then settled on his eyes, compassion evident. "Your parents were attacked the other night. I'm sorry. Are they ok?"

"Unfortunately," Hartley commented.

"Hartley, they're your parents," Caitlin said with a scoff at his indifference. "You don't care about their well being?"

"Just about as much as they cared about mine," Hartley replied, deadpan. He twisted his mouth to the side. "So STAR Labs seems to be building itself back up."

"Oh, Averey doesn't work at STAR Labs," Caitlin explained. "She works here, at Jitters." She motioned between the two of them. "Averey Moore; Hartley Rathaway."

"How ya going?" Averey asked, offering Hartley her hand. Hartley lifted an eyebrow but didn't move to shake her hand. Her arm hit the table with a thunk before she pulled it back into her lap.

"And she's a photographer," Cisco added. He kept his gaze on the smooth surface of the table drumming his fingertips on the table top.

"Well, some people have to do the pedestrian jobs don't they?" Hartley asked, twisting his mouth to the side. Averey's eyebrows lifted but she didn't say anything. "Even if they do make some of the best coffee in Central City." He reached his hands up to adjust the collar of his dark coat. "Mind if I _don't_ join you?"

Cisco made a shooing motion with his hand, muttering something in Spanish. "Bye, Hartley," Caitlin said, lifting her hand in a small wave. Hartley chuckled to himself before turning on his heels and making his way towards the counter. Caitlin thought she heard him say something like "sooner than you think" as he did so.

"I hope your parents are doing well," Averey said to his back. She made a popping sound with her mouth as she settled back in her seat."Well...he's a charmer." Caitlin made a face as if she just sucked a lemon. Cisco snorted. "Oh, there's Jason." Caitlin spotted her wide-eyed, large pupil look. "About 30 meters away. Come on."

Caitlin gathered her coat and her purse hastily pulling them over her shoulder. She made a beeline for the door and pushed out into the cool night air. "Cait, slow down." Averey and Cisco hurried to catch up to her quick gait. She was across the street and standing in front of the dark skinned man in a matter of moments.

"Jason?" Caitlin asked, holding out her hand. "Caitlin Snow."

"Nice to meet you," Jason said with a fleeting smile, shaking her hand. "I have to admit it was a shock to hear you wanted to meet with me." He slid his hands into his coat pockets, nodding towards Cisco and Averey who had caught up with her. "First, I wanted to say I hope there's no hard feelings with my never responding to the interview request at STAR Labs. After my interview with Mercury, things were just going so fast."

"That's quite alright," Caitlin said with a reassuring smile. "Thank you for meeting us."

"We didn't think you were going to come, dude," Cisco said to him.

Jason looked over both of his shoulders, letting out a breath of air. "I wasn't sure I was going to come," he explained. "When you told me you wanted to talk about F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M…I didn't think it was a good idea. I'm not exactly allowed to talk about it.

Caitlin glanced over at them—Cisco nodded, prompting her—and spotted the veyesor sitting around the front of Averey's neck. Averey's eyebrows lifted, but she stayed silent. "Why not?" she asked.

"When the army came and took all of our work, I was pretty much given that command," Jason explained. He chuckled. "Living with a father in the military, you learn to listen to commands like that."

"Then why are you talking now?" Cisco asked.

"I wasn't given an NDA to sign or anything," Jason said with a small shrug. "It's been a while since our experiments were ended…" His face fell just slightly. "A lot of time for people's attention to divert to something else. The night of the accelerator accident was the last time I had heard from Dr. Martin Stein. He said he was going to continue the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project no matter what. I always admired his tenacity."

"Do you know where we can find Martin Stein?" Cisco asked. "One of our friends needs our help. We had a run in with him and the only thing he could say to us was 'Firestorm'."

"If your friend had anything to do with that project…" Jason shook his head back and forth. "If anything went wrong…" He swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry for what could have happened to him. We could melt a cement block with this project, there's no telling what could've happened to them."

"Ok, what exactly is F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M?" Averey asked, her hand shooting into the air as if she was in class.

"Basically, every atom gets taken apart and put back together to make new elements," Cisco explained. He was silent for a moment. He turned towards Caitlin, peering at her with eyes filled with uncertainty.

"So…Ronnie's body was ripped apart and put back together atom by atom?" Averey asked after a moment of silence. She made a face. "Bloody hell. Didn't see that coming."

Caitlin pressed her lips together. She didn't know what to think. Ronnie was with her that night before going to try and fix what had gone wrong. Then he never returned. So, what would he know about the particle accelerator? Maybe they were getting ahead of themselves, thinking the worst before really getting any facts. But…his body was never found. So maybe if his atoms were torn apart, they didn't get back together?

She shook her head, trying to knock the thought out of her head. "And Martin Stein?" she asked.

"If anyone could find him, I'm sure STAR Labs could," Jason said with a shrug. "He's fallen off the face of the Earth. Maybe he's still working on the project in secret, but…no one's heard from him since he said he was going to keep trying to create F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M."

Thank you for talking with us, Jason," she said, shaking his hand.

"I certainly hope it'll help you and your friend," Jason said, wrapping his free hand around hers, shaking her hand in return. "I really do. Good luck."

"Thanks, man," Cisco said, clapping him on the shoulder. "And good luck at Mercury Labs." Jason gave a tight smile before walking off at a brisk pace. Cisco let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "All that for a project? I mean, getting the military involved?"

"Ronnie couldn't have been involved with something like that," Caitlin declared taking long steps down the sidewalk. The wind pushed the tears—of fear, worry, and determination—that she had done so well to keep at bay, down her cheeks. "He just couldn't."

"We don't know that he wasn't—Cait, slow down!" Cisco said as he and Averey hurried after her. "Caitlin where are you going?"

"To find Martin Stein," Caitlin replied.

"You heard Jason, no one's been able to find him," Averey said after her. "How are you going to? Where are you even going to start?"

" Wherever I can," Caitlin said, throwing her hands in the air. She turned around to face her friends, eyes ablaze. "Martin Stein is the only other person that can help us and 'Firestorm' was the only thing Ronnie was able to tell us that gave us an idea of how to help him. And I'm going to figure out what that means."

"It doesn't seem like it'll be that easy," Cisco pointed out. "Sure, Stein could still be continuing the research, but whose to know the military isn't keeping tabs on the both of them?"

"Well, if Jason suddenly disappears, we'll know why," Averey said with a shrug. She paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Hmm. Maybe I have been watching too many cop shows."

"This isn't a time for jokes," Caitlin said with a huff of annoyance. "Ronnie is alone and scared and we're the only people equipped to help him. Because I couldn't help him before." A sob worked its way up her throat and out into the cool air. "And I'm not going to let him down again."

She started crying in the middle street. She could still hear his final words repeated in her head. She could hear the fear in his voice. The love. Then he was just gone. More than a year later and it was still hard for her to come to terms with it.

"I could've done something," she said as she hastily wiped at her tears. She allowed Cisco to pull her to him in a hug.

"He knew you were there," Cisco said quietly. "That was enough for him. He did to save you; all of us."

"He was always looking out for me," Caitlin whispered. "I never asked him to do that; we were supposed to be partners. A team."

"No one really asks for what they are, do they, mate?" Averey's voice appeared beside her. She felt the Australian's small hand lay on her shoulder. "He didn't ask to be Firestorm, Barry didn't ask to be the Flash, and you didn't ask to be so smart. But, it's all worked out so far. Barry and I wouldn't be here without your help. And you might not be here at all without what Ronnie did."

There was a moment of silence as Averey stopped talking and Cisco gently squeezed her, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. Caitlin loudly sniffed, looking up at her. "I hope I'm not stuffing this up, I'm not great at pep talks and I can't read your face—which is a first—but, I'm just saying, the way I see it—"

"I get it," Caitlin said with a breathy laugh. She gave a smile of reassurance at Averey's look of uncertainty. "Really. Thank you." Averey relaxed into a smile, sliding her hands into her back jeans pockets.

"Well, I got it all on tape," Averey offered, pulling the Cisco-created device form around her neck. "We can get back to STAR Labs and go over what Jason said."

Caitlin paused for a moment. She hadn't told Dr. Wells or even Barry what they were doing. After going off on Barry about keeping secrets and in science they share things they figure out, it wasn't the easiest thing to come out of her mouth.

"No, no I just…" she replied. She gave a quick shake of her head. "I just need some time. To just let it sink in." She took in a shaky breath of air. "To understand that this is who Ronnie is now."

"There's my Caitlin," Cisco said with a grin. He brushed her hair out of her face and used his shirt sleeve to dry her cheeks. "How about a round on me? Seems like a good night for some drinks, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm suddenly in a mood for a Mai Tai," Caitlin said. Reaching for her purse, she started looking for her keys. "Ave, you need a lift?"

"Please and thank you," Averey replied as she looped her arm through Caitlin's. "I took the bus down here, anyway."

"Pssh, who uses public transportation anymore?" Cisco asked

"Hey, that's the main source of transportation where I'm from," Averey defended herself, her voice shifting into a higher octave. "Besides, I still get mixed up on which side of the road to drive on." Caitlin and Cisco exchanged glances. "I'm kidding. Geeze, you Americans don't know how to take a joke."

"I'm going to build you a car or something," Cisco commented. "So you don't have to take a bus to help out the Flash."

"Now, do you _really_ think that would be a good idea?" a cool, deep voice asked, cutting through the air. "You wouldn't want anything to fall into the wrong _hands _now do you?"

Caitlin felt a shiver roll down her spine. She could've sworn the temperature around them had dropped as they slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice. Cisco tightened his grip around her and she could feel Averey's hand on her elbow start to shake as they faced Leonard Snart, who gave them a sinister, yet amused smile. He held the Cold Gun lazily over his parka covered shoulder.

A bald man stood beside him, which Caitlin likened to a pit bull. His chest heaved as he breathed; a wild look on his face. As if he was waiting for the command to lunge at them. He held a glowing gun of his own; an orange color in comparison to Snart's blue one. Covered in soot and oil, he looked menacing. Both men were wearing sunglasses.

"Snart," Cisco said quietly. He took a small step back, then two, pulling the girls with him.

"Why don't we make this easy and you just come with us?" Snart asked, opening his arms out wide.

"No way," Caitlin replied.

"Just let them run," the bald man said, his lips parting into an odd smile. "Let's see if they can beat the heat."

Caitlin's heart pounded in her chest as prickling sweat flooded her armpits. "We have to get out of here," she said quietly, just loud enough for Averey and Cisco to hear her. "Now. I have a bad feeling about that gun."

"_Run_," Cisco hissed. The three of them turned on their heels and started running down the street as fast as they could. Cisco managed to remove his cell phone from his coat pocket and lifted it to his ear. "Come on, Barry, answer."

A high-pitched whine filled the air before the familiar sound of the gun being fired. A rush of cold air surrounded them and before she knew it, she was teetering and tottering. Her heels started to slide out underneath her as the sidewalk was coated in a layer of ice.

"Whoa!" Averey flew forward onto her stomach, sliding along the ice.

A shriek was pulled from Caitlin's throat as she fell. She grabbed onto Cisco's arm and pulled him down with her. "Ahhh!" The building windows and cars lining the street shot past them as they went hurtling through the street before colliding with the side of a parked car. "Ow!" Caitlin grabbed the back of her head, her vision swimming.

"Come on, let's get them," a gruff voice declared.

"Give it up!" Snart called. A crunching sound filled the air and Caitlin blinked, her vision clearing. Snart and the bald headed man were slowly making their way towards them. The gravel crunched and popped under their boots as they neared. "You can only last so long in the cold." Caitlin could already feel her damp, cold clothes, starting to stick to her, sending a chill through her body.

"Let's warm them up a bit shall we?" the bald man asked. He grinned as he aimed his gun at them. For a second time, a high-pitched whine hit the air before fire shot out of the gun, hurtling towards them.

"Watch it!" Caitlin grabbed Cisco around the shoulders and pulled him to the ground as the fire blazed over their heads.

"Thanks," Cisco said breathlessly. Caitlin nodded. He started army crawling along the ground, moving to block her. "Move, Averey. Move!" As another blast of hot air cut through the air, the three of them crawled along the ground, trying to get away from the ice. They made it behind another parked car. Gasping for breath, they huddled behind the car.

"How does that saying go?" Snart called, mockingly. "Jack Frost is nipping at your…_toes_?"

"Not surprised you'd recognize someone with cold feet," Cisco snarled. His chest lifted and fell rapidly, but he didn't look around.

"And It's _nose_, block head," Averey replied as she slipped her veyesor over her eyes, pressing the rounded pieces down to cover her ears. Caitlin gasped as Averey rushed out from behind the car, running up the sidewalk, but closer to the men. She reached a trash can and grabbed the lid, flinging it towards them.

"Don't!" Caitlin shouted after the girl. Lifting herself up onto her knees, she peered through the car's windows. "Ave—" Cisco slapped a hand over her mouth, stopping her from giving away the Metahuman's name.

"Barry's not answering his phone," Cisco said quietly, his voice shaking. Caitlin turned towards him and saw the fear in his eyes as he removed his hand from her mouth. "It's going straight to voicemail."

"Averey can't do this by herself," Caitlin replied. "Keep trying."

"_Straight to voicemail_, Caitlin," Cisco repeated. "His phone is off!"

_That's right. _Caitlin chewed on her bottom lip. _Think, Caitlin, Averey needs help._

The Flash could barely maintain Snart last time by himself and Averey didn't have the same speed that Barry did. Luckily, she had Cisco's veyesor on her to stop the bright light of the flame from knocking her out cold in an instant, but this fight put her at a disadvantage. But, she was a Metahuman, and she was only doing what Barry would do. She wanted to help people, too. That's what they were all trying to do.

Snart froze the trashcan lid with a single shot from his cold gun. Caitlin watched as Averey leaped onto the lid of the trash can before launching herself in the air. With a loud _clang_ on the un-touched back of the trash can lid, she kicked it back towards Snart. The quick movement caused him to stumble.

"Mick!" Snart shouted.

"Haaaa!" 'Mick' aimed his own gun at Averey, charging it up. "Let's hear your snarky comebacks. Or how about a heated debate?"

"Watch out!" Cisco shouted.

Caitlin covered her eyes with her hands, too afraid to look. Cisco made a grunting sound beside her, but she didn't hear any screams of pain from the optical metahuman. She still couldn't bring herself to look. She wasn't equipped to be on the battlefield. While in STAR Labs she was safe between the walls and the technology. With all the maps she could get a bird's eye view of the area, but now they were on a level playing field and she didn't know how to help.

Again.

She started to shake. "Not again." It was like the night of the accelerator all over again; someone she cared for needed her help and there was nothing she could do about it. "Not again." A rushing sound filled her ears.

_"Caitlin, in case anything happens. I just wanted—"_

"Nooo." A moan she had never heard before hit the air. Heat rushed over her body, one that fire could never duplicate despite feeling shaky all at the same time. "Ronnie."

"Cait." She started shaking harder. No, someone was shaking her. Calling her name. Cisco. The moaning stopped as she gasped, looking up at him and realized it was coming from her. He stared at her with wide eyes. "Cait. What's wrong."

"Averey?" Caitlin asked.

"She can't dodge much longer," Cisco said, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "Remember what she said? Her eyes move fast enough that she can see which direction they're going to go in, but…" He shook his head. "Snart must've built Mick his own gun based off my design. Cait, I'm so sorry."

Caitlin didn't answer. She looked through the windows again and spotted Snart walking towards them. Mick was busy firing his gun at Averey as she ran from car to car, trying doors. "Cisco, he's coming."

"Run, Caitlin," Cisco said, practically shoving her. "Go. Run!"

But, she was rooted to the spot. Averey found a door that was open and hurried into the car, disappearing for a few heart-hammering moments before popping out the other side, a bent metal piece in her hand. A car jack crank handle.

"Can't stand the heat, huh?!" Mick shouted. Snart, on the other hand, continued to silently stalk towards him, his mouth twisted to the side in a smirk. Averey threw the crank handle at Mick in the seconds it took for his gun to charge. He lifted the gun in front of him to shield him and it collided in the side with a _clank_. Sparks shot out of the side of the gun.

"Why don't you just come quietly?" Snart asked. He chuckled. "We don't want you to _catch a cold_ do we?" He lifted the cold gun and fired, a blast of what looks like a white and electric blue flame out of the gun, towards the car they were hiding behind.

"Move it!"

Cisco collided hard with Caitlin's side and she went flying towards the ground. Landing heavily on her hands and knees, stinging pain shot through her hands to her wrists, and up to her shoulders. The car in front of them froze, a crackling sound hitting the air. Brushing her hair out of her face, Caitlin rolled onto her back, searching for Cisco, and felt some relief to find him looking for something to hide behind.

Snart aimed his gun at him and before Caitlin could draw in a breath to scream, a loud roaring sound filled the air. Caitlin looked over towards Mick and watched the bald man turn to find the source of the noise. A second set of flames shot through the air, aiming towards Snart and Mick.

"Ronnie." Caitlin watched as her fiancé (or former fiancé?) landed on the ground, head, and arms flaming. He turned his head towards her.

"Run," he said quietly. Snart grit his teeth, firing his gun at the newcomer. Ronnie shot the flames from his arms forward and it collided with the blast of ice. The air around them burned, suddenly becoming hotter as steam filled the area, lowering their visibility. The heat clung to the back of Caitlin's throat and she coughed and gasped for air.

"Cisco?" she called.

"Over here." Cisco's voice was from somewhere to her right. She started crawling towards him, crying out in pain as her knees slammed down on the rocks on the ground. Pausing to wipe the gravel from her knees, she felt her stockings were ripped and her fingers slide over the blood she didn't know was weeping from her knees. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, you?" Caitlin replied, continuing in the direction of his voice.

"Yeah. Just peachy."

Caitlin felt a hand on her back and she let out a shriek. "It's just me," Averey's hot breath covered her ear. She tightly gripped Caitlin's arm, pulling her up to her feet. "Cisco's over here."

"You can see-?"

"Yyyep," Averey replied, rushing her through the steam. "Hurry, before the steam clears." Caitlin was guided through the thick steam and a large, shadowy figure stepped in front of them. "Ahh!"

The two girls collided with the figure and Mick's laugh reached their ears as he grabbed the two of them in a tight grip. "Not everyone can run from the heat," he growled.

Caitlin made a face, her cheek sliding over the rough material of his coat. She struggled to break free groaning in pain when his grip tightened. Her eyes squinted in pain and she spotted a faint, purple glow. Widening her eyes, she watched as the purple glow grew bigger and bigger by the second, as if the white curved edge of the veyesor lit up as if it had an LED display built in.

Averey suddenly thrust her head upwards, smacking the top of it into Mick's jaw with a loud _click. _Mick's head shot back and his grip on the two girls slackened. The purple light burst forth from the veyesor and hit Mick's eyes, knocking the sunglasses off his face. He let a roar as he let the girls go.

"I can't see!" Mick started shouting. He stumbled back, rubbing at his eyes. "I can't see."

Cisco grabbed for her arm. Caitlin felt his fingers wrap around her elbow and he pulled her to his side. "What happened?" he asked. "Why's he screaming?"

"I think…she blinded him," Caitlin breathed, bringing him to his feet. "I think Averey blinded-" Something pulled at the neck of her coat. The material pulled into her throat, tightening, tightening. She gasped and choked for air, pulling at the material, trying to give herself air space. Then her world went black as pain exploded on the side of her head.

* * *

"_Dr. Christina McGee_?"

"_Yes, speaking_."

"_You have twenty-four hours to follow through with your promise_. _Otherwise word of falsification of data to acquire research grants will be 'slipped' to the media_. _You were not supposed to give out any of your work. You have been warned. Ace—_"

The deep voice cut off instantly, it's faint echoes bouncing around the Cortex before dissipating as Christina McGee hastily tapped at the screen of her phone. Someone was clearly masking their voice—the deep tone with the high pitched overlay was a dead giveaway—and for good reason. He didn't know anyone who had the guts to blackmail a laboratory as large as Mercury Labs.

Harrison peered over at Tina his lips twitching. "I never thought you'd be one to give into blackmail, Tina," Harrison commented, folding his hands in his lap.

"You know very well I like to keep my projects under wraps, Harrison," Tina replied, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I assure you, it's not that foreign a concept."

"Yes, but this also entails that you have something to hide," Harrison commented. Tina let out a huff of air and started pacing back and forth in front of him, the sound of her heels bouncing off the walls of the Cortex. "What, exactly, can I do to help you, Tina?"

"Return my tachyonic prototype," Tina instantly replied. "You may have gotten it by means—"

"Similar to this," Harrison said, interrupting her. "I have to admit I was surprised Mr. Allen had the gall to speak to you as he did. You likened his actions to that of my own but I assure you, I would have come up with other means to procure your prototype."

"Be that as it may," Tina said, her jaw tightening. "I need the prototype returned immediately."

Harrison sighed. "That'll be difficult to do as we don't have it anymore," he admitted. Tina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked. "And what, Harrison, happened to it?"

"It was stolen," Harrison admitted. She gaped at him. "We were using it in an experiment that went very wrong." He pulled the corners of his lips downwards into an apology. "I deeply apologize."

"And when, exactly, did you plan on relaying this information to me?" Tina demanded, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms over her chest. Harrison didn't answer. "What do you propose I do now?"

"I think the real question here is, who is blackmailing Mercury Labs?" Harrison asked.

Tina sighed. "I don't know," she admitted.

"Don't you?" Harrison asked. "I believe that message hadn't ended." He tilted his head to the side as Tina shifted her weight from foot to foot. This was too easy.

"I don't know their real name." She was silent for a moment. "I only know them by a moniker." Harrison blinked. "But, they clearly have information about what projects are being housed at Mercury Labs."

"So, it's an inside source," Harrison suggested.

"I have over 500 employees under me," Tina explained. "It'd take ages to figure out who it is that's doing this. They know that the tachyonic prototype was loaned out." She was silent for a moment. "My secretary, Kim Stassen, had to remind me of a fair few discussions with Mayor Bellows that I have no recollection of."

A matter of memory lapse, gaps in the memory. That was familiar to him. But, Tina was out of luck despite her brave notion to seek him out for help. Not that he would. He needed that prototype. He thought of a word of advice, some of comfort, but instead, he decided to stick with keeping the situation light hearted and calm.

Harrison chuckled. "You can't truly be suggesting that this is a cover up by Mayor Bellows's office," he said. "As what? An attempt to keep his second running for mayor successful?" He fixed her with a stare. "These projects must be something if he has his people threatening you." He was silent for a moment. "_Has _there been falsification of data to obtain research grants?"

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous," Tina snapped.

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Harrison replied. "Go to the police if you have nothing to hide." A muscle in Tina's jaw twitched. "Unless of course…you do. Christina McGee, I'm surprised."

"We all have secrets, Harrison," Tina replied, flatly.

"Indeed we do."

* * *

**A/N: **Phew, I covered a lot in this chapter. How was the transition between the present and the flashback with Eddie? Did it make sense to you? Glad to have gotten some action in there at the end as well.

_Babyj: _Here's where the Royal Flush Gang plot line comes into the main plot more. I do agree though, I can see that it has taken a while to get to this point. Thanks for the review. Bivolo's affects on them will be explored more as the story goes on.

_Ethan: _Bivolo's anger beam (I have no idea what to call the red one) will do that to you. I noticed that Barry seemed to show his confidence in taking on the Metahumans in kind of an angry way as the season continued. (If that makes sense). I wished we could see more with Joe and Henry. I think their relationship is different and I'm excited to explore more about it. And the brother/sister storyline really moves forward from the next chapter. As you can see, I've been making some of the other characters notice similarities between the two. Can't wait to see your reaction when it's revealed.


	22. Your Friends Need You

**-Chapter Twenty-Two-**

**"Your Friends Need You"**

* * *

Barry pushed his hands deeper into his coat pockets, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he stood outside of the Central City graveyard. How weird was it for someone to pace back and forth in front of the gates of a cemetery without going in for the past hour? Has it really been that long since he arrived? He shivered and he didn't think it was because of the cool night air.

Scratching the back of his head, he paced in one last small circle before stepping through the metal gates. He hadn't been here in a long time. The rocks on the pathway crunched and popped under his feet as he made his way towards the burial plot for his mom. His footsteps slowed as he got closer and closer to the area.

He could remember how gloomy and gray the day felt despite it being a sunny day without a single cloud in the sky. He stood off by himself, watching as the sleek black casket was slowly lowered in the ground. He had cried out everything inside of him. Now he was just empty. Joe and Iris were both there, and so were members of his family he hadn't seen in a long while, but it didn't help. His dad should've been there. Barry needed him there then and he needed him there now.

"Hey, mom," he said as he came across the headstone baring his mother's name. He suddenly realized how empty his arms were. Maybe he should've brought flowers. He removed his hands from his pockets and scratched at the back of his neck before lowering himself into a squatting position, placing the flat of his palm on the grass. "I know it's been a while since I've been here. I'm sorry. I just couldn't be here."

"So, uh, I guess you've been able to see everything that's been going on. I know how you feel about my fighting but I have to do it. I've been winning a lot; not that that's really important." He let out a sigh through his nose. "I've found the guy who did this to you, mom. But, I'm just not fast enough to beat him. I've never been fast enough."

All the times he was forced into running home, trying to avoid all of the bullies. His mom could say to him over and over again to ignore them, but that seemed to make things worse. So he started talking back. It wasn't the best idea he ever had, but he was at least standing up for himself—before being thrown to the ground because of it. It was only when he had actually started fighting back did he ever get them to stop. Except for Tony Woodward, but he was a different case all together.

"_A good heart is better than fast legs, Barry_."

Only he needed both of them as the Flash. His "good heart" made him put himself into harm's way for anyone that needed his help, and his "fast legs" made him keep everyone safe and keep the evil metahumans off of the street. Without his speed he wasn't much help to anyone whether he had a good heart or not.

"Mom, I wish you were still here," he said quietly, bowing his head. "I know dad didn't do this to you and you know he didn't." He stared at the grass for a moment before looking up at the words etched into her headstone—a message of how lovely she was and how her love would forever be remembered. "I just need to know you think I can do this, mom. Do you think I can? Do you think I can get a confession out of who did this to you?"

A breeze blew, warm and comforting. It wrapped itself around Barry as if giving him a hug, spreading the warmth from his toes to his fingers, brushing his hair off the top of his head, sending a shiver down his spine. A light, flowery smell wafted over his nose.

She was there.

"Hi, mom," Barry said, his eye falling shut. He could see her standing in front of him, her lips pulled back into a soft smile.

"Barry." She reached out a hand and cupped his cheek in her soft palm. "I've been waiting for you to visit. But, I understand you've had a lot on your plate lately. I'm really proud of you."

Barry gave a short laugh. "You've always hated it when I got into fights, mom," he replied.

"That is true," Nora said with a soft laugh. "I'd prefer you to talk things out with anyone you're having trouble with." She gently slid her fingers down the side of his eye. "But, I know that it doesn't always work. I saw you come home with too many bumps and bruises for my liking."

She grasped his hand, gently squeezing it. "Your father and I viewed that topic very differently and I'm proud to say you've come up with a solution that works for you. Sometimes you have to put your personal thoughts and beliefs aside to do what is right. I never wanted you to decide your future like this, Barry. You had so much going for you; you could've done so much."

"No one would believe me, mom," Barry protested. "I _had _to do it. They all think dad did this to you."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Nora insisted. "It's just not what I wanted for your life." She pressed her lips together for a moment. "But, I know this is what you have to do. Central City needs you, my sweet Barry."

"I need _you_, mom," Barry replied.

"I'm always here, Barry," Nora replied, "don't you worry about that. But that's not what's important. Even if you do catch the one that did this to me, it doesn't bring me back."

"I know—"

"And it doesn't change how everybody views your father. Everyone that knows him knows that he's innocent and that's what's important. You can't keep going after something you can't change. It took me a long time to learn, but it'll help. Set your sights on things you _can_ change, not what you can't."

"But, mom—"

"Your friends need your help, Barry."

"What do you mean?"

"They need your help, Barry."

She started to fade. He reached for her hand and his fingers passed through. "Mom!" The warmth was gone. His eyes flew open and he shuddered against the cool wind. His shoulders slumped. He would never be able to get her mom back.

_But dad still has a chance_, Barry thought to himself, feeling his fingers curl into a fist at his side. They relaxed when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Ignoring the notifications of missed calls in the status bar, his eyes drifted to the name ("Dr. Wells") that appeared on the screen and he rushed to answer it. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Get to STAR Labs as soon as you can we have a problem," Dr. Well's voice came through the ear piece of his phone. "Cisco and Caitlin need your—" Barry skidded to a stop in the center of STAR Labs. The rush of wind knocked Averey over ("Barry!"), and Dr. Wells used one hand to grab onto the counter in front of him, closing his eyes against the wind. "Help."

"What happened?" Barry asked, chest rising and falling as he gasped for air. "What's wrong with Cisco and Caitlin?"

"It seems that Snart has managed to capture the two of them," Dr. Wells replied, setting his phone down onto the table. "Miss Moore just finished explaining this to me."

_No. _Barry felt his jaw drop and his breath rush out of his mouth. "_Your friends need your help, Barry_." He couldn't help but chuckle. Even when she was gone, his mom was always right. He just didn't think it would happen that quickly.

"We were leaving Jitters when Snart and this Mick guy attacked us," Averey explained as she picked herself up off the floor. She removed the veyesor from around her neck and tossed it to him. Barry caught it against his chest. "I've got heaps of it on tape. Check it out."

"How long ago did this happen?" Barry asked.

"…A couple hours," Averey said quietly.

Barry stared at her. "A couple hours—_what_?" he all but shrieked. "Are you serious?"

"Do you know how long it takes to take a bus here?" Averey asked, throwing her hands in the air. "Not to mention it was delayed because of an accident, and I don't have Dr. Well's phone number, and you weren't answering your phone!" She took in a deep breath between her long sentence. "I told Dr. Wells as soon as I got here, and then he called you and now I'm telling you."

He groaned. He _had _noticed that he missed some calls, but he must not have felt his phone vibrate as he walked to his mom's gravesite. Great. Just great. "Well, I'm here now." Barry popped out the small memory card on the side (as Averey looked for a card reader, searching through the drawers of the desk. "Ooh, a lolly. Oh, it's a tootsie pop." She unwrapped the candy and stuck it in her mouth. "Must be Cisco's work area.") and moved to the computers to feed it into the system. "I've got it." A jerky picture—which he likened to the movies they referred to as "found footage"—of Central City filled the screen. There was Leonard Snart, all right. And someone with an orange glowing gun. That had to be "Mick."

"What is it he's holding?" Barry asked as he set down the Cisco-made device. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's like Snart's cold gun," Averey explained, "but it shoots out fire instead of…cold."

"I'll be damned," Dr. Wells said, his knuckles popping as he curled his fingers into a fist. "Snart was able to fashion a Heat Gun for this Mick." Barry shifted his gaze from the screen to the scientist in front of him. "I understand Cisco's desire to take precautions but surely he could've seen the repercussions of creating something like that." He slammed his fist down onto the arm rest of his electric wheelchair.

Barry exchanged a wide-eyed look with Averey. There were some instances where Barry had seen Dr. Wells angry, but this was different. "Uhhh." Barry shook his head. "I've already forgiven Cisco for creating the Cold Gun in the first place, Dr. Wells. Right now we just have to figure out how to get Cisco and Caitlin back. Ave, tell me everything that happened at Jitters."

Barry turned his attention towards the ocular metahuman as she started pacing back and forth explaining what had just happened, as she tapped her bottom lip with the candy. It was then that he noticed her clothes had rips and dirt stains smudged on them. "And then Firestorm came and _woosh_—" she flung her arms in the air, "there was steam everywhere. Mick grabbed Caitlin and I and then—_boom_—I head butted him and then when the steam cleared Caitlin and Cisco were gone."

"Firestorm?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, apparently, Ronnie was infused with the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project and now he can manipulate fire or whatever," Averey explained, making a circle in the air with the lollipop.

"Ronnie Raymond is alive?" Dr. Wells asked, sitting up straighter in his seat. "And he's able to manipulate the nuclear energy around him?" Averey gave him a confused look and shrugged.

"I guess?" she said as more of a question. "That's what Jason Rousch had said. And, let me tell you, it was kind of like pulling teeth to get that out of him. He said the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project had been disbanded and the military was keeping close eye on it, but Martin Stein wanted to continue the project with a private backer. That's all I could really understand, anyway. Caitlin's been trying to find out what happened to Ronnie since Christmas." She then winced, making a face. "Shoot, I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"Why would Caitlin keep that a secret?" Barry asked Dr. Wells who didn't answer, but stared into a corner. "I thought we didn't keep secrets with what we were doing." He could still feel his stomach clenching guilt from having kept his low blood sugar exhaustion a secret.

"Everyone keeps secrets for a reason, Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells said quietly.

"Like the fact that Snart has a partner now," Barry commented.

"Who seems to be a bit of a hothead as the footage shows," Dr. Wells commented, waving his hand towards the screen mounted on the wall, "no pun intended."

"And you have no idea where Snart could have taken them?" Barry asked. Averey shook her head back and forth. "I really need you to think hard. Did Snart say anything about where he was going or why they needed Caitlin and Cisco?"

"No," Averey insisted, "and trust me, I would remember."

"Yeah, if you saw it," Barry muttered. "I should've been there." Averey frowned and Barry hit a closed fist against his forehead. The edges of his vision started to glow a dull, brick red color. "I shouldn't have put this Snart case on the back burner."

"Barry, we agreed that what was most important was for you to increase your speed," Dr. Wells said, finally settling his gaze over to Barry. "I was the one that pushed you to make that decision. For that, I take full responsibility."

"If Barry moves fast enough, then there's no way that Snart or Mick would be able to touch him with their guns, right?" Averey asked. "So, when they appear again—and they will—you could just, I don't know, run circles around them, right?"

"Not while they still have those guns," Barry said with a shake of his head. It was in this moment where he missed having Cisco around. The red filter grew even more. If he had gone with Cisco, this wouldn't have happened. "They can still cause havoc with them. Not to mention, they're pretty long range weapons. We'd need to find a way to knock them out of commission."

"Which is feasible," Dr. Wells said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. "Snart has the Cold Gun and Mick has a Heat Gun; we can cancel them out with each other." He removed his glasses and tapped his bottom lip with the arm of the eyewear. "Maybe if you move fast enough, you could have them pointing in the same direction and—" He slapped his hands together.

"We can try that," Barry said, nodding his head. "In the mean time, I think we should try and figure out the story on this Mick, guy." He rushed out of the room in search of a piece of paper and a pencil before hurrying back into the Cortex. "Ave; describe to me this Mick guy and I'll draw his picture and show it to Joe." Barry hunched over the paper, the tip pressing to the sheet.

With a _pop_, Averey removed the lollipop from her mouth. "Bald with some stubble around his mouth—not really a five o'clock shadow but there's hair there. He wore these dark rounded goggles, almost like steam punk. Thick eyebrows, and wrinkles around his eyes. Long nose and rounded ears. Yeah, just like that." As she gave him the description of the man, Barry used his speed to quickly draw out a sketch of the man, his hands flying back and forth across the paper.

Barry held up the finished image and stared into the dark eyes of Mick. The sides of the paper crinkled as he felt his grip tighten in anger. That look; it was like it was mocking him. See what happened, Barry? You took your eyes off of what was most important and now Snart has your friends. "I'll go bring this to Joe and Eddie right now," he said, reaching for his cell phone. The sooner he found the two, the better.

"What can I do?" Barry hesitated just slightly in answering the girl, but it was enough for her to notice. "I know I haven't been of much help, Barry, but I can do something. I want to do something." Averey moved to stand in front of him, stopping him from leaving. "I could keep an eye out on the city to see if Snart comes back."

"You can manage that here with Dr. Wells—"

"I know I'm not as smart as Cisco or Caitlin so I can't come up with these great plans on the spot or anything, but I can help," Averey insisted. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You can deny it all you want, but I saw that look before. You don't think I can do this. I did my best against Snart and Mick."

"Ok, then maybe you just didn't try hard enough," Barry snapped before he could stop himself, his annoyance suddenly skyrocketing. This argument was wasting time. Averey's eyebrows angled towards each other just slightly.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Hey," Dr. Wells said in a warning tone.

"You said it yourself, Averey," Barry said with a huff of annoyance. They were wasting time. "All of this freaks you out and that you were hiding when Farooq was around. That you're scared. Were you too scared to help Cisco and Caitlin, too?"

"Are you really throwing that back in my face right now?" Averey asked, her eyes widening just slightly.

"_Hey_."

"Yes. I am," Barry replied. "This isn't a game; it's real." Averey's jaw dropped just slightly. "I can do this on my own if it's too hard for you." He moved to walk past her and Averey thrust a hand into her chest, stopping him from moving.

"Hey!" she said; a glare on her face. "You weren't there. I tried my best to not turn into an Averey-Cicle while trying to help your friends." She pushed him back and he stumbled just slightly. "I'm sorry I'm not as fast as you. No one is."

_The Reverse Flash is_, Barry thought to himself, feeling his jaw set. "Why didn't you stop them?" Barry asked.

Averey stared at him and slowly blinked. "What did you want me to do?" she asked. "Magically open a black hole and throw them in it?" Barry rolled his eyes. He didn't need this. Not now. Averey took a step towards him, eyes flashing angrily. "Oh, I'm _so_ glad this is just because you've been whammied otherwise I'd punch you into next week."

"Good luck trying to catch me to do that," Barry replied. He could just run out of the room and not have to worry about any of this.

"I tried my best, Barry. I tried to give Cisco and Caitlin time to run away so they wouldn't turn into _fucking_ _popsicles_!"

"HEY!" Barry and Averey turned at the sudden shout and faced the exasperated looking Dr. Wells.

"Pointing fingers at each other is not helping," Dr. Wells said in a tight voice. He was silent until he was sure he had both metahumans' attention. "What is most important here is the safe return of Cisco and Dr. Snow. Now, I'm sorry I pushed you into making the decision of not viewing Leonard Snart as a threat, but the truth is that he is one and with the help of Mick, he's no longer a single threat." He set his jaw and started talking again, his words getting louder and louder until he was almost shouting. "This was a personal attack against the Flash and we'll need to prepare for when they do make a return. _Do I make myself clear?_"

Barry pressed his lips together, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Great. If he didn't already feel bad enough about his choices, he was being yelled at by his mentor and idol like a little kid.

"I blinded one," Averey said after a long stretch of silence, head bent towards the floor. "I think."

"I…excuse me?" Barry asked, shaking his head at the sudden change of topics. "You did what?"

"I think I blinded one of 'em," Averey replied, a stunned look on her face. "When Mick had me…I was so scared that he was going to burn me alive or something." A hand went to her chin. "There was this pressure behind my eyes and this weird glow and then Mick was shouting that he couldn't see."

"It could've been flash burn," Barry said, tapping his chin with the paper. Averey snorted before wrapping her lips around the lollipop to stop herself from laughing out loud. "Stay here; I'll go tell Eddie and Joe. Maybe it bought us some time; Mick's eyes need to heal." Removing his cell phone from his pocket, he brought up Joe's cell phone number and waited for him to answer his phone.

"_Hey, this is Joe._"

"Joe, we've got a problem."

* * *

Eddie smiled as he got a deep lungful of tomato sauce from the plate of spaghetti that sat in front of him where he was positioned at the head of the square table. His stomach growled loudly as the smell of garlic surrounded him. "Who knew moving boxes back and forth—and back and forth, and back and forth—across the room could make you work up such a huge appetite?" he said, folding his hands on his stomach.

Iris set her own plate onto the table, fixing him with a "don't start" look before relaxing into a smile as she sat to his right corner. "If it helps, even _I'm _amazed at how much stuff I have," she said to him. Eddie smiled and took her hand, lifting it to his lips. "What?"

"I just can't believe you agreed to move in with me, that's all," Eddie replied, giving her a peaceful smile. "What did I do to get a girl like you?"

"Um, get my purse back after someone stole it from me," Iris said, pretending to think. She gave him a smile, wiggling her eyebrows. "Yeah, that was pretty impressive."

Eddie laughed quietly before he sobered. "Iris, I'm glad I was able to finally tell someone about my old partner," he said after he cleared his throat. "I'm glad I have you."

Iris covered Eddie's hand with her free one, turning to face him. "I can't imagine having to go through something like that," she replied. "I'm glad you trust me enough to be honest with me."

"Of course." Eddie shared a smile with Iris before lifting his fork, stabbing it into the pile of noodles on his plate. He heard a knock on the door and dropped his fork with a dejected frown, earning a laugh from Iris.

"Don't touch my food," he said, pointing a warning finger at her before he made his way to the apartment door.

"You sound like Barry! He's very protective over his fries."

"That's exactly what I needed to hear," Eddie muttered sarcastically to himself as he undid the chain of the lock and grasped the door handle, "to be compared to—Barry!"

"Hi, I'm sorry to just barge in," Barry said as he stepped past Eddie and into the police detective's apartment. "Hi, Iris." He lifted his hand in a wave. Iris, although looking confused, waved back. "Oh." He looked around the apartment. "So, this is it, huh?" His eyes widened and he slapped a hand to his head. "Moving! I was supposed to help you move and I'm—" He glanced at his watch, "_Really _late."

"Don't worry about it, Barry," Eddie said as he closed the door behind the younger man. "What's going on? You look rushed." He laughed at his own joke. Iris and Barry silently stared at him and he quickly stopped. "Sorry."

"Caitlin and Cisco are gone," Barry quietly replied, glancing over at Iris. "Snart has them."

"_What_?!" Eddie's voice bounced off the corners of the apartment as he shouted. Barry's eyes widened and Eddie lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. I mean…_what_?!"

"Oh my god," Iris said, jumping to her feet, her fork clattering on her plate. "What happened? When did this happen?" Barry quickly explained how Caitlin and Cisco were on their way back from Jitters when they were taken.

"You now I'm off duty," Eddie said to Barry. Like that was really going to stop him. Barry came to him for a reason and everyone knew how much he loved to work. This was just another opportunity to do something good for Central City.

"And I'm sure you're jumping for joy about it," Barry replied. Eddie's lips twitched. He must be easier to read then he thought. "But, Eddie, I need your help." He reached into his pocket for a folded piece of paper and quickly unfolded it. "This guy is working with Snart, and he has a Heat Gun. It's built like Snart's only it shoots fire. A—uh—eyewitness came forward and was able to describe what they saw."

"Those shields Cisco made were only for Snart's Cold Gun," Eddie protested before looking down at the portrait sketched on the paper in his hands. "If these two are working together…Singh isn't prepared to stop them." Iris's hand flew up to cover Iris's mouth.

"Look, Eddie, I know you're off shift," Barry said, pressing his hands together as if he was praying, "and you can just tell Captain Singh I made you do it or something, but you're one of the best on the force, no one can deny that. And I need your help."

Eddie glanced over at Iris who twisted her fingers as she lifted up onto the balls of her feet. "I'm not that great," he said quietly. Iris tilted her head to the side, giving him a patient, yet encouraging smile. He twisted his mouth to the side, looking back over at Barry. "But, I'll do anything I can."

"Great," Barry said with a sigh of relief. "Then we need to get going." He stepped past Eddie and back into the hallway of the apartment building.

"Ok, hold on, Barry, let me just get my things," Eddie agreed, scratching at his hairline. He stepped over to his girlfriend and took her hands in his. "Iris, I'm sorry—"

"I understand," Iris said, gently squeezing his hands. "Go help Barry. Get Caitlin and Cisco back." Eddie gave her an appreciative smile and kissed her on the cheek before hurrying around the apartment

"I just—why would Snart target Caitlin and Cisco?" Eddie asked as he hurried around the apartment, looking for his shoes . He had an idea. Cisco was the one who built the Cold Gun in the first place. If there was anyone who could make them more of a threat than before, it was the brains at STAR Labs. "That doesn't make sense. Plus, Snart never seemed like the 'team player' type—_ow_!"

Hopping on one foot, he massaged his stubbed toe from where he kicked a box marked 'BOOKS'. "Damn it." He clenched his teeth as he hopped into the kitchen. "Where are my shoes?"

"Hold on, babe," Iris said, starting to help him look. After the pain in his toe subsided he set his foot on the ground and reached for his phones charging on the counter. Sliding his phones into his pockets, he maneuvered his way around the cluttered living room to the closet, grabbing his coat. "Here, I've got them."

"Thanks." Eddie shrugged into his coat and took the shoes that Iris held out towards him. He quickly slid them on, gave Iris another kiss of thanks, before grabbing his keys and hurrying out the door.

"Eddie!"

Eddie leaned back into the apartment. Iris chewed on her bottom lip before dropping her hands down to her sides. "Be careful, ok?" she said to him.

"Aren't I always?" he asked. Iris shifted her gaze upwards, shaking her head just slightly. "I'll be back soon." Iris waved and Eddie stood back in the hall, pulling the door shut behind him. "Ok, Barry—" The hallway was empty. "Barry?" Shaking his head, Eddie hurried down the stairs of the apartment building and to his car. "He shows up late and now he can't sit still."

Moments later, he was walking out of the elevators at the Central City Police Department and straight in the eyesight of Captain Singh. "THAWNE!" Captain Singh marched up to Eddie, but he side stepped him, making his way to his desk. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear, but you are off duty for—"

"I heard you loud and clear, Captain," Eddie replied as he dropped into his seat. He tapped the space bar of his computer and the login screen popped up. "I just choose not to listen to you on this matter." Captain Singh's eyes widened. "With all due respect. Barry asked me to help, you see—"

"Two citizens were kidnapped by Snart?" Captain Singh asked.

"How'd you—"

"We had someone call in an abandoned car not far from Jitters," Captain Singh replied, his mouth forming a tight line. "Point of interest was that it was covered in a sheet of ice. We ran the plates and found who it belonged to; Caitlin Snow." He looked around the room. "She's a friend of Barry's isn't she?"

"And mine," Eddie quickly replied. It wasn't exactly a lie. He knew of Caitlin had spent some time with her and Caitlin during a night out here and there. It wasn't enough for him to really consider her a friend of his, but they had helped Barry when he was in his coma. And he did have a good time hanging out with them. "But, that doesn't explain—"

"All call just came in threatening harm to Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon if there's any 'funny business', and the Flash decided to give him the, how he so eloquently put it, 'cold shoulder'," Captain Singh replied, using air quotes.

"Wait." Eddie blinked. "What?"

"Just now," Captain Singh replied. "Snart wishes for the police not to get involved in his affairs." He set his jaw, shaking his head. "Where is Allen, anyway?"

That was a good question. Eddie thought he'd find Barry here at the police station, but despite the messages he left on the way there, he hadn't seen the CSI around. Nor heard from him since he showed up at his apartment. "I haven't even seen Joe," Eddie replied. "But, Barry did give me this sketch of the man working with Snart. That's why I'm here."

Captain Singh stared at him for the longest time before he let out a sigh. "Normally, I'd be convinced that there's too much personal conflict with you covering this case," he slowly explained as if it pained him to do so, "but something tells me you won't be leaving anytime soon." Eddie gave a sheepish grin, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright, but afterwards, we're going to have a long talk about this, Thawne."

"Yes, sir."

"Look," Captain Singh said quietly. "I'm not doing this to punish you, Thawne. I just really think you need the break."

"I appreciate that, Captain," Eddie replied. Captain Singh tapped the tips of his fingers on Eddie's desk before he addressed the rest of the officers in the room. Half-listening, he started opening the databases on his computer system. Then he froze. Glancing at the sketched portrait again, he brought his thumb to his mouth, chewing on his thumbnail.

This just didn't add up. Snart wasn't someone who relied on other people to help him with his thefts. At least none that he would keep around for a while. Snart was known to dispose of his "silent partners" quickly after a crime. He had already broken into a building with a handful of lavish cars and didn't take any. This Mick guy has to have been working with him for a while, so what made him different?

"He has a Heat Gun," he said quietly to himself, "and Snart has a cold gun. Your classic fire and ice." _Fire and ice. Fire and ice._ The words repeated over and over in his mind. _Fire and ice. Fireand ice. Fireandice. _"Fire. That's it!"

With that thought in mind he started pulling up as many previous police reports on arson he could find along with the last crime reports filed on Leonard Snart. He quickly went through file after file, waiting for anything to come up that would help—ah ha! _Arsonist Injured in Own Fire. _He quickly started reading the article to himself and slapped his hand on the desk triumphantly when he found what he needed.

"Captain," Eddie said as he started the printing process of the articles with a series of clicks. "I think I've got something." He jumped to his feet and hurried across the room to the printer, grabbing the freshly printed pages. "Name's Mick Rory; got badly burned in a hit early last year working with Snart before they showed up in Central City. According to this, he never got the medical attention for his injuries."

Captain Singh took the papers and silently read to himself; lips moving, eyes shifting back and forth. "Who would refuse to get medical attention after being burned that badly?" He grimaced.

"Seems like our Mick Rory has some obsession with fire," Eddie commented, "Barry says he's got some sort of Heat Gun he used during the attack."

"Son of a bitch," Captain Singh said. His voice was barely above a whisper. He clapped Eddie on the shoulder. "Good work, Thawne." Eddie gave his boss a smile of thanks before realizing he was making a beeline for Barry and Joe who were making their way into the work area. "_Where have you two_ _been_? I know Allen has a tendency to be late, but not you, West."

"We were—uh…" Barry looked over at Joe for help.

"Going over the crime scene," Joe replied smoothly. Barry snapped his fingers and pointed in Joe's direction, the "deer in headlights" look leaving his face. "I got your message and we got back as soon as we could."

"Yeah, well," Captain Singh blinked rapidly before putting a hand to his head. "Thawne was able to identify Snart's partner; a Mick Rory." He handed the printed out papers to Joe who looked them over.

"Seems he's worked with Snart on several occasions," Joe commented, as he quickly scanned through the papers. "I heard about this fire."

"Not only that," Eddie said, stepping over to his computer. He placed his hand on top of the computer monitor and turned it towards Joe, Barry, and Captain Singh. "But, it seems like other arson cases can be linked back to Mick, too. See?"

"No," Joe slowly replied, staring at the computer. "But, I do see—"

"Caitlin," Barry breathed. "And Cisco."

Eddie blinked, before moving to stand in front of the computer monitor. Pictured was a bound and gagged Caitlin Snow and Cisco Ramon facing whatever was broadcasting the image on this computer. He looked around the room. It was on every screen in the room. "What are they saying?" he asked.

"I don't know, but we can find out," Captain Singh replied. He hurried across the room and grabbed the remote and turn on the TV. The same picture on all of the computers appeared on the widescreen mounted to the wall. Tuning up the volume, the low hiss of Leonard Snart's voice flooded the room as he taunted the Central City police on their successful abduction and the Flash on not being there to protect the people.

But something was wrong. Eddie felt his eyebrows knit together as he watched the scene play over and over again. Caitlin was the only one on screen, than Cisco was shoved into frame before being grabbed by the hair by Mick Rory, forced into a chair and bound as well. Snart was clearly operating the camera. He took in the scenery of the picture in front of him; metal shelving, large windows, extension of the room behind them.

"This is old," Eddie said aloud. "Look at the window in the back; you can see the city bridge." He stepped over to the TV screen, tapping on it in the spot he referred to. "You can see it. At this time of night, the lights would be lighting the whole thing."

"This must be a few hours old," Barry said, a look of realization appearing on his face. "So who knows if Snart is even there right now." His final words barely got out of his mouth when the windows exploded with a rush of heat. Screams ripped through the air and Eddie felt himself hauled to the floor, landing on the hard ground.

"Get away from the windows!"

"Get down! Get down!"

There was another loud explosion followed by the tinkling sound of glass showering down onto the floor. Eddie looked around and spotted members of the force hiding behind desks, some seemingly unharmed and others with bloody patches appearing on their skin and clothes.

"Something tells me he's here," Joe replied, checking his body for any cuts. "You ok?"

Eddie quickly patted himself down, wincing as his hands slid over glass shards on his body. He turned his hands over and spotted thin red lines. His shoulder and hip throbbed but otherwise, he was ok. "Yeah, I'm all right," he said with a nod of his head. "Thanks, partner."

"Anytime," Joe replied.

"Everybody get suited up!" Captain Singh started shouting orders, "protective vests, and helmets, all of it. Don't forget the STAR Labs protective equipment." He was silent for a moment, shaking his head. "We may not all trust them, but they're the best chance we've got at keeping everyone safe. Move! Move! Move!"

"Thawne, West," Captain Singh said turning towards his fallen detectives, "watch that video and find out where Caitlin and Cisco are. And Barry—" He blinked in surprise, finding the spot Barry was just lying in empty. "Allen?"

"We'll get moving right away, Captain," Joe said as he got to his feet. "Come on, partner, we've got a lot of work to do,"

"I'm coming." Eddie got to his feet, massaging his shoulder. As if it wasn't already occasionally tight from his previous injury. "I think we should go to the edge of the city; you know, look at everything that faces the bridge."

"Good idea."

* * *

Averey put her hands over her ears as the video played over for the umpteenth time. "Can't you make it stop?" she asked, turning away from the computer screen in front of her to face Dr. Wells. "You're smart."

"An excellent observation, Miss Moore," Dr. Wells said dryly, the computer screen illuminating his face, casting a glare of light on the lenses of his glasses. "Trying to pinpoint the location of this video is proving to be difficult, however. Unfortunately, Snart knows what he's doing. And with Cisco and Caitlin with him…"

Averey glanced over at the scientist as he fell silent and spotted a muscle jumping in his set jaw. His eyes burned with a combination of anger and worry. It was funny; at times it seemed like Dr. Wells could be more of the loner, distant type and then other times show his appreciation to the two who were most loyal to him. Or maybe there was more there.

"With Cisco and Caitlin, what?" Averey prompted him.

"With Cisco and Caitlin with him, I have no doubt in my mind that he'll manage to do whatever it is he's planning," Dr. Wells finished his sentence.

"Attacking CCPD for one thing," Barry said as he came to a stop in STAR Labs after blowing through. He looked over at Averey and nodded upwards just slightly, reaching for the head piece of his suit. "Get changed. We have to hurry." He then made a face when he took in the sounds of the room. "I see they managed to get the video to play here. It must be on all the monitors in the city."

"That's possible?" Averey asked, getting to her feet.

"Apparently so," Dr. Wells replied with a shake of his head. He turned to face Barry. "Why would Snart attack the CCPD?"

"Part of his master plan I presume," Barry replied. "But, we _have _to stop him. That video he's broadcasting on all the networks; it was a while ago."

"And it's just _now _being shown everywhere?" Averey asked. " So Snart and this Mick guy could've been doing god knows what this whole time."

"Which is why we need to move fast," Barry said in a solemn tone.

"I'm going, I'm going," Averey replied, hurrying over to the display that held her suit. Taking in a deep breath, to try and calm her nerves and slow her racing heart, she grabbed her suit, found a place to change and walked back into the Cortex to meet with Barry. Swinging her arms around, she marveled at how the suit felt so light and protective; almost like a second skin. "Let's roll."

"Are you sure?" Barry asked.

"We're wasting time right?" Averey asked with a shrug.

Barry relaxed into a half smile. "Right."

"Then, you're going to need this," Dr. Wells said, maneuvering to Averey's side, holding out her veyesor. "This should mask your voice much like how Barry can vibrate his vocal chords to mask his own." Averey gave him a confused look as he took the device and slid it over her ears and eyes. "Snart could recognize you by this device alone."

"And maybe your accent," Barry added.

"I don't have an accent," Averey replied, as if he just told her the sky was green. Of anything, everyone in American had an accent.

Barry opened and closed is mouth, his eyebrows inching up his forehead. "Well…maybe you could try an American accent anyway," he suggested. Averey thought for a moment before relaying a sentence saying they needed to get down to the police station as quickly as possible.

"That bad?" Averey asked, seeing the look on Barry's face.

"We'll work on it," Barry said. Then all traces of humor was gone from his face. He and Averey traded a nod before he held out his hand towards her. As soon as Averey settled her gloved hand into his, he took off, speeding to the heart of Central City.

"Whoa." Averey blinked in surprise as her voice reached her ears sounding like she was talking into a fan. She looked up at the building that housed the police department, shaking her head at the destruction.

Windows were blown out, glass littering the ground. Fog hung in the air, surrounding the area, in a damp cloud. The street was empty apart from the blockades and police cars at either end. Groups of bystanders (and police officers trying to keep the place secure) stood by, snapping pictures and watching the scenes unfold.

"They really know how to make an entrance," she muttered.

A snake of flames burst out of one of the windows, aimed right towards them. Averey went flying as Barry used his speed to quickly push her out of the way. A grunt slipped out of her mouth and into the air as she rolled on the cool concrete. She was sure she heard an annoyed "_Mick_" as she hit the ground.

"We've got to draw them out," Barry shouted over towards them. "Otherwise, they'll torch the place in seconds."

"What are they even doing inside?" Averey asked as she pushed herself to her feet. "Surprised the sprinklers haven't gone off by now."

"The same thing they're doing with Caitlin and Cisco," Barry replied, gritting his teeth. "Trying to bring the Flash to them." He looked over at Averey and she could've sworn she saw electricity crackle in his eyes. "So let's do it."

Averey ran up the stairs to the police building, following Barry inside. A crackling sound filled her ears shortly followed by Dr. Well's voice. "Snart and Mick are three floors above you," he explained. "Be careful."

"Any hostages?" Averey asked.

"No, just the two of them," Dr. Wells replied. "The best way to stop the two of them would be to cancel out the Cold and Heat Guns."

"The question is how are we going to get them to cross streams without burning the place to the ground," Barry muttered, rubbing at his chin. "One shot from Mick's Heat Gun and it could be hot enough to burn the whole place up."

"Well, Mick isn't one to really stick to a plan, he just points and shoots," Averey explained. "And Snart thinks his plan out. But, with the guns they're both long range—"

"They're coming right towards you," Dr. Wells declared.

The familiar high pitched whine reached her ears, causing her hair to stand on end. There was a clicking sound and a bright blue light illuminated the lobby before a patch of ice appeared on the ground inching towards them. Barry and Averey quickly dove out of the way. _That was getting old, fast._ "Kind of like that."

Loud, gleeful laughter bounced off the high ceilings. Thundering footsteps was heard shortly after that. Averey glanced up in time to see Mick smiling gleefully over the railing of the stair case before continuing at a fast pace down the stairs.

"There's barely any place to hide, Ba—Flash," she called over to Barry, who poked his head out behind the large front desk.

"Maybe we don't have to, Visionary," Barry replied. "You can see where they're aiming, right?" Averey nodded her head. "If we can cool the place down enough at the same rate Mick heats the place up…"

"We could get some cloud coverage," Averey said, finishing his sentence. "Great idea. But, you do realize that 'low visibility' affects me, too, yeah?"

"Won't stay long with the broken windows," Barry replied. "But, it'll be long enough. We're going to need some help, though." He pointed upwards.

Averey followed his gaze and spotted the sprinkler heads dotting the ceiling. "I think I can see what you're getting at." Smiling to herself, she grasped the boomerang hanging off her hip, pulled her arm back, and threw it as high into the air as she could. "Good, just keep doing that. I'll keep them busy."

With a series of loud _clangs_ that rattled her teeth, Averey threw her boomerang up into the air as hard as she could. With the heads of the sprinklers broken off, the place was showered with water, instantly soaking everything in the room. Snart and Mick tried to catch the Flash at the end of their cross hares, but he was moving too fast for them. Soon, the place was filling up with rolling waves of steam, lowering visibility in the room. With a final burst of wind, Barry shrouded himself in the cloud filling the room. Everything was still.

Snart let out a curse. "Looks like the Flash has learned some cool new moves," Snart's annoyed taunt cut through the air. Blasts of fire shot out in every direction, punctuating his annoyance. "_Mick_!"

"We can't just stand here," Mick replied, sounding more like a frustrated kid then Snart's partner. "You want to get the Flash, so let's get the Flash!"

"Kind of hard to do when we can't _see_ him."

Averey strained to see through the cloud of steam as it swirled through the air. "Phew." She hooked a finger into the neck of her suit, pulling it aside to give her some relief from the warm room. Staying in her hiding spot behind a pillow, she peeked around the corner to watch Snart and Mick's silhouettes slowly descend down the stairs, guns clutched tightly in their hands; the glow of the side chambers the only light in the room.

"Any ideas?" Barry asked, his voice coming through her ear pieces almost surround sound.

"They've got long range guns," Averey replied, pressing the ear pieces to her veyesor tightly against her head. "Only chance we have is to shorten their range."

"We bring the fight to them," Barry replied.

"Right-o," Averey said. "I'll go in first; with your speed, you can get me out quickly."

"Got it."

Snart and Mick's shoes squeaked on the floor, coming closer and closer towards the center of the room. As the seconds ticked past, the steam became thinner and thinner. Averey pulled her boomerang apart and gripped the handles tightly between her hands. _Squeak_. _Squelch._ They stepped farther and farther away from each other, examining the room.

After a quick countdown to herself, and a deep breath to calm her nerves, Averey jumped out of her hiding spot and rushed towards the two armed men. Knowing her suit could at least withstand heat, she set her sights on Snart. He turned towards her as he heard movement and brought his Cold Gun up to block her advancement. Adjusting the position of the grips of her blades, she pulled her arms back over her head and swung them down in a stabbing motion. The tips of her blades clanked against the side of Snart's gun.

He grit his teeth and swung his Cold Gun upwards, catching her in the jaw. Pain exploded on the side of her head when he hit her there next. With a clatter, her blades hit the ground, sliding away from her. She was barely on the floor before she felt a thick arm wrap around her neck, hauling her to her feet. Gasping for her, she scratched at Mick's arm as he laughed triumphantly, his hot breath on her neck.

"Got ya," he rasped.

"Exactly what I wanted," Averey choked out. There was a streak of yellow lightning and Mick's arm was forced away from her neck. Dropping to the ground, Snart aimed his Cold Gun at her. She quickly rolled out of the way, scrambling across the floor as quickly as she could to stay out of the way of the ice beam.

"Any minute now, Visionary," Barry said, trying to keep his grip on a thrashing and screaming Mick.

"Working on it, Flash," Averey replied. Everything seemed to slow as she carefully watched Mick. He bucked, twisted, and turned, trying to get the Flash off of him. He kept inching more and more to the right, looking like he wanted to slam Barry backwards against the nearest pillar. _Perfect. _

Narrowly avoiding another hit from Snart (she could feel the material of her suit tighten painfully around her hip from the ice to halfway down her thigh), she rushed forward as fast as she could—the ice limiting her movements—and rammed her shoulder into Snart's chest. He slid backwards on the patch of ice he just created on the ground. He wind milled his arms, trying to keep himself standing as he spun. She watched, zooming in on his hand, as his finger squeezed the trigger of the gun in his hand. Ice shot out of the end of the gun and straight towards Mick and Barry.

"Flash!" Averey shouted.

Barry quickly ran out of the way and, reacting quickly, Mick fired his gun back at Snart to stop himself from being frozen. With a strangled cry, Snart and Mick flew through the air. Hitting the ground, they rolled once, and lay groaning in pain on the floor. Their guns popped and sizzled. The glow on the side chambers slowly dimmed until they weren't glowing any more. Averey collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as Barry blasted forward and collected Snart and Mick, pulling them out of the room before retrieving the now defunct guns.

"We did it," she said as Barry walked back in, announcing Snart and Mick were in police custody. Despite how tired she was, she gave Barry a wide grin. Getting to her feet, she grabbed him and giving him a tight hug. "We did it, we did it!"

"For your first fight, Visionary," Barry said, as she released him, holding his fist up towards her, "you did great."

"Cheers, Flash," Averey said, bumping his fist with her own. "And I wasn't even clumsy once." She got to her feet and let out a long breath of air. "I don't know how you do this all the time, but I'll always do my best to help." She placed her hands on her hips, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "I've got your back, you know."

Barry smiled.

* * *

Massaging his leg muscles as he sat in STAR Labs, Barry was glad that he was able to heal quickly. It felt good to get his energy back quickly after an exceptionally tough fight. Now that Snart and Mick were being transported to Iron Heights, he didn't have much to worry about. There was the nagging thought at the back of his mind that having the two of them in the same prison as his dad, but Snart and Mick were high profile. There was little chance for them to be in general population.

"Your bruises will heal, especially that one on your hip, and despite getting your bell rung I see no signs of a concussion." Barry looked across the Cortex to Dr. Wells who was shining a flashlight in Averey's face. The Australian metahuman made a humming sound of pain, twisting her head, and body, as she tried to maneuver his swivel chair away from him. "Sorry. I'm done." Dr. Wells turned away from her and faced Barry, giving him a smile.

"Nice work today, Barry," he complimented him."The both of you; you worked well together. And it gave Detective Thawne and Detective West enough time to find Caitlin and Cisco and arrange a safe return."

"I wouldn't have had the idea if Averey didn't tell me what had happened before," Barry said with a shrug. Averey beamed before wincing, massaging her sore jaw. "It was all her. She was really brave."

"Yes, you both were," Dr. Wells agreed with a nod of his head. "Thanks to you, Snart and Mick won't be hurting anyone else anytime soon."

"Yeah," Barry agreed.

"Look like you've got a lot on your mind, Barry," Averey commented, rotating her shoulder.

"I just don't understand how someone could be like Snart," Barry commented. She gave him a curious look. "I've faced him before and both times, I don't understand how he could be so ruthless to just kidnap and kill people without a second thought."

"It's not like he started out that way, yeah?" Averey asked. "Nobody's born evil, they all start out good." Barry made a face. "Ok, say I, oh, I don't know, accidentally left the door open and your dog got out and got hit by a car and died. You wouldn't label me a dog murder for that. She tilted her head to the side as she waited for his answer. "Would you?"

Barry blinked, his eyes shooting over towards her. Before he could answer, a familiar clicking sound reached his ears before Caitlin stepped out of the shadows. "Cait!" Barry reached her side in a few quick steps and enveloped her in a hug. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"It's so good to see you," Caitlin said, returning his hug. She blinked up at Barry as she took a step back from him. "You have no idea."

"Caitin." Averey did an odd combination of a shuffle, limp, and walk over to the biomedical engineer, giving her a hug as well. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. She stepped out of Averey's hug and gave her a smile. "A little rope burn, but I'm ok."

"You're by yourself," Averey pointed out. Her eyes widened slightly as she reached up and gripped the rounded ear pieces of her veyesor as if they were her lifeline. "Why? Why? Why are you by yourself?"

Caitlin gave her an odd look before relaxing into a smile, her right eyebrow briefly twitching upwards. She let out a soft laugh. "Cisco is fine," she explained. "He's just giving his statement to Joe. He'll be in any minute."

"Oh, good," Averey said, visibly relaxing.

Barry looked over the smaller girl's head at Caitlin who gave him a look of amusement. "What happened?" he asked her.

"Snart wanted to hurt the Flash," Caitlin said with a shrug of her shoulders. She started to massage her wrists and Barry noticed how red and swollen the streaks on her wrists were. "He taped his message and then had Cisco broadcast it on a loop. I don't think they planned on keeping us alive for a while."

"What do you mean?" Averey asked.

"They put bombs under the chairs we were strapped to," Cisco said, shaking his head, his dark hair flying as he walked into the Cortex. "That Mick guy _really _loves playing with fire you guys." He scoffed and held his hand out to Barry who slapped it in greeting. "I mean, that's no joke."

"Glad to see you made it out in one piece," Averey said before stepping forward to give him a kiss on the cheek and a hug. "Welcome back." Cisco smiled, his face flushing.

"I must agree with Miss Moore and offer my sentiments," Dr. Wells said rolling towards the group of STAR Labs workers. "I'm glad to have you return safely." He reached out and placed his hand over Caitlin's. "I don't know what I would have done without my two most loyal workers." He was silent for a moment. "My two most loyal friends."

Barry blinked in surprise. He had never heard Dr. Wells refer to any of them as his friends. Caitlin and Cisco looked to be shocked at the revelation as well. "And as your friend, I promise I'll do anything I can to help you get Ronnie back," he said. Cisco winced and Caitlin shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Just as long as you promise to be upfront with me from now on." Caitlin's jaw dropped. "Averey let it slip. I can understand why you may have wanted to keep that a secret, but even you said we don't keep secrets in our line of work."

"That's true, Dr. Wells," Caitlin agreed. "But, I told them not to tell you—I couldn't believe myself that he is…what he's become."

Dr. Wells gently squeezed her hand before settling his hands in his lap. "We'll get Ronnie back," he repeated. He looked around from Averey, to Caitlin, to Cisco, and then to Barry, his gaze lingering on the speedster for a moment. "All of us together."

"Well," Barry said, clapping his hands together, "let's get to work, then."

"Hey, the rest of us can't regain our strength as fast as you, Energizer, Bunny," Cisco said, slapping Barry on the back. "Maybe after a good night's sleep, huh?"

"Right, sorry," Barry said, giving a sheepish smile, scratching at the back of his head. "Tomorrow then; Team Flash." He held out his hand.

"Awww, how did I not come up with that one?" Cisco asked, as he slapped his hand down over top of Barry's. Caitlin and Averey exchanged glances, rolling their eyes at each other. Shaking her head, Caitlin added her hand to the pile and Averey slapped hers down over top. "Come on, Dr. Wells."

"I'm not doing that," Dr. Wells said dryly, albeit with a hint of a smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N: **Phew, another long chapter with a lot to cover, _but _it was Averey's first fight as Visionary.

_Guest: _Heh, I may still do more Eddie/Averey one-shots, here and there. I can see why people like the pairing and I'm liking it too. It won't move in that direction with this story, but I do like writing scenes with them together.

_Ethan: _And here's another long chapter for you. I think orange and gray was a terrible color combination so I just threw that in but I'm glad someone likes it. And Eddie was bothered by Barry telling Iris that he loved her.

_Babyj: _It's Iris/Eddie. I put in the line of Eddie saying that Barry wasn't around that often to try and relate that. But, Barry and Iris do have more upcoming scenes together. I am trying to have more parallels to Barry's life with Averey and how she fits in with STAR Labs and grows her friendships with everyone.


	23. I Feel Like This is My Fault

**-Chapter Twenty-Three-**

**"I Feel Like This is My Fault"**

* * *

Henry grunted, flipping over in his bed. He squinted his eyes against the darkness before peering out of the window. A few rays of light shone into the concrete room. Why did he wake up? What time was it? He knew for sure it wasn't anywhere near time for count, yet something felt off. The air, the space around, him felt more tense and frantic.

It had felt that way for a little over a week. Ever since Leonard Snart and Mick Rory managed to free themselves from their transport vehicle, Iron Heights had changed. An initiative had passed for specialty metahuman housing—as they were being called in the newspaper—for those criminals they arrested who exhibited phenomenal abilities. No one knew what they were capable of doing and the rumors that flew around Iron Heights didn't help.

When everyone was allowed out together for some recreational time, or to eat, no one knew who was a second away from bursting into flames or turning invisible. It made even the most confident men who "ruled" over everyone doing a double take and sticking tight to their group. The officers were cracking down on any misconduct they could normally turn a blind eye to and was looking at everybody sideways.

Stretching his arms over his head, Henry sat up in his bed, blinking as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark room. Sitting quietly for a moment, he listened to what was going on. Harsh whispers, faint footsteps, and the dripping of his toilet reached his ears. He jumped as he shifted his gaze over towards the bars of his cell and spotted the dark silhouette standing there.

"Hello?" he asked quietly.

The figure wasn't that tall, or as wide as the correctional officers. It was a woman. Henry pushed his blankets back from his legs and swung his feet to the floor. He was at the bars in two quick steps, but the woman had moved away, hurrying down the hall.

"Hey," he called after her. He craned his neck, peering out of the bars as best he could. The woman continued to peer through the bars of the cells before continuing down the hall. "Who are you looking for? Who are you?"

"_Shut up, Allen_," a tired voice hissed, their voice carrying to his ears.

Henry let out a sigh, pressing his forehead against the cool bars, allowing his arms to drape through the gaps. He peered down the empty hall before shifting his gaze into the cell opposite his. "Hey, Gus," he called quietly.

"Yeah, Allen?"

"You see who that was?" Henry asked.

"Some chick, man," Gus replied. "She was looking in here, too. Damn near made me piss myself." A wheezing laugh floated to Henry's ears. "Would love to have a woman by my bed, but not like that, know what I mean?"

Henry didn't have the chance to answer when thundering footsteps was heard overhead. Shouts echoed down the hall before a bright, bobbing light appeared at the end of the hall. Henry groaned, lifting a hand to cover his eyes from the light. A klaxon sounded loud and piercing, blasting short pulses of noise into the air over and over again. Sections of the hallway were lit up as the bulbs lining the hallway turned on.

"Get up! Get up! Let's go! Now!"

Removing his arms from the bars, Henry's hands went flying to the back of his head before turning to face the nearest wall. He didn't understand what was going on. It wasn't time for a cell search. No one would be woken up to start their day for another couple of hours. Most importantly, who was that woman and how did she get this far into Iron Heights?

"Allen."

Henry squeezed his eyes shut as a bright blue light was pointed in his face. "Here, sir," he replied. With a loud _clank_ his cell door was pulled open and he was roughly pulled out into the hallway. "What's going on? It's not time for count—"

"I'll tell you when it's time for count, Al," the correctional officer replied. "This is just a precaution; to make sure everyone is in their place."

"Hey, sir, there was a woman in here—"

"We're well aware of that. Be quiet and walk when I tell you."

Henry stood side by side with the other inmates in his hall, hands behind their heads, confused as to why was going on. Nevertheless, he was wide awake and alert. Minutes later he felt a hard shove to his back and fell into step with the other inmates as they were directed towards the eating area. On the way there, they passed by many open cell doors and a few that were still locked.

Congregating in the eating area with all the other inmates, he was starting to hear whispers of what was going on. Some woman was seen inside the prison and disappeared right in front of inmates' eyes. Not only was Clay Parker, who was supposedly the boyfriend of this woman, missing, but so were a handful of other inmates. This was all told out of ear shot of the officers of course. No one wanted to gain the reputation of being a snitch, no matter what the topic of conversation was.

"First Snart and Rory escape, and now these guys?" Gus whispered loud enough for Henry to hear him. "Things are going to change around here, man. How do you think they got out?"

"Who knows," Henry replied, his gaze fixated on a spot on the wall. "Who knows. But, believe me when I say this is something I know the CCPD can handle."

"_This is C.O. Little; we're going to need police assistance down at Iron Heights immediately. We've got down security cameras, missing inmates, and somehow…a break in. Send back up immediately._"

Gus clicked his tongue. "I know you're very boastful about your son and his work," he said with a snort. "But you know how it is around here; people don't talk to the suits. Even if they know something."

"You don't know the CCPD."

Gus snorted a second time, even louder; attracting the attention of an officer who glared in their direction. The two men stayed silent until the officer shifted his attention to the next round of inmates being led into the room. "I know them well, alright," Gus hissed. "They put me in here after all."

Henry's lips twitched into a half smile. Be that as it may, his son was on the force. He had a sharp mind and incredibly perceptive. If anyone could help figure out what had happened, it was Barry. And he could bet that Barry would figure things out pretty quickly. Almost at a superhuman speed.

A loud, bellowing voice cut through the commotion as an officer stood on top of a table to get everyone's attention. "Listen up!" he shouted. "As the police come through to investigate what happened, we're going to have to relocate you to other areas of the prison. Move quickly and quietly. Thank you." He then cleared his throat as he retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket. "Please stay behind when I call your name."

Henry dropped his arms to the side when his name was the first to be called. As his tense muscles relaxed, he waited for the rest of the room to be cleared out. Ten men were left behind. The officer stepped off the table and clasped his hands behind his back.

"I understand you all might have seen something around the time of the escape."

* * *

Barry ran around the ping pong table in the cleared out space of STAR Labs, swinging his paddle through the air to smack the white hollow ball back over the net of the green table. He grinned as he stretched his long legs, breathing easily as he finished one circle around the table and started the next.

At first, he thought all of the games, like, chess, operation, and ping-pong was a weird part of his training regime, but it turned out to be fun. Not only did he get the chance to take a break during the day and actually do fun things-and as an extension feel like a kid again—but he could see Dr. Wells's point with it. It was helping him learn to multi-task and keep his mind focused despite going at a hundred miles an hour. Or more than that, he was sure he was well above that on the odometer with hi feet alone.

Now, he had someone just as competitive as he did to play against and Dr. Wells could take a back seat in participating and watch how they were growing as metahumans. That's not to say he still couldn't beat Barry in chess; he was still reeling from a four-move check mate and vowed to beat his mentor eventually.

Averey hated losing as much as he did (as he quickly found out) and she was the one to see who could win the most games against him, which led to her crushing defeat in every game she could think of. "Run Around the Table" was her last resort game, and evidently so as she insisted that he was not allowed to use his speed at all. Not that he minded. He didn't need the leg up as her lack of height was helping him out.

"What's wrong?" he taunted before his paddle connected with the ping pong ball with a _thwack_. Averey hurried to the other end of the table to reach the ball before it bounced a second time. "You getting tired?"

Averey huffed and puffed as she tried to keep up with the speed metahuman. "No," she replied between gasps of air. She was slowing down. Even when he wasn't using his super speed, he could still run circles around her.

"You suuuure?" he asked. He came around to the other end of the table and returned the ball. He started whistling to himself, slowing to a skip. "I could do this all day."

"You have been," Caitlin said dryly. A clipboard was perched on her lap where she was keeping track of what games they had played and who had won. She wasn't the best at the games she had to play against either of them and didn't take too well to loosing that badly.

Barry smiled at her look of annoyance and waved his hand in the air. He continued to skip around the table. "You're just mad because you _still_—" he sent a zinger across the table which Averey stumbled forward to barely return, "can't beat me in Operation."

"There's no value in the game," Caitlin protested, crossing her arms over her chest. "Unless you _like _your blood pressure skyrocketing." Shaking her head, she held up a hand and positioned her index finger and thumb close together. "I was _this _close to that Brain Freeze piece; would've been the easiest 600 dollars I've made in my life."

"Only to spend it all on the stress tests you'd have to take," Cisco said with a grin. Caitlin glared at him and he quickly set his attention on the Twizzler in his hand, taking a large bite out of it and chewing it loudly. "Mmmm."

"Yes!" Barry cheered as Averey missed returning the ball. He punched the air with his fists before setting down the ping pong paddle, grinning. "I'm still the champion."

"I have…little…legs," Averey protested, putting a hand to her knee. She pointed the paddle in her hand at Barry. "That's…all." Putting a hand to her chest, she straightened and took in a deep breath of air. "You know, for someone who claims to have been terrible with sports, you're a real sore winner."

Barry shrugged. "I thought you said you were competitive," he commented as he reached for the wrist cuffs of his collared shirt. He undid the buttons and started rolling his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. "I wasn't even using my speed."

"_I wasn't even using my speed_," Averey repeated, making a face and lowering her vocal range to mock him. "Whatever, Barry."

"Just because I beat you at Operation—"

"You'd think someone with a good eye sight would be able to handle that one no problem," Averey muttered, sliding her hands into her back jeans pockets. "Or a photographer. I don't know where my shaky hands came from."

"Checkers—"

"You're not allowed to take your move back."

"In his defense, his fingers never left his piece," Cisco pointed out, waving a spit covered Twizzler over at the two. Barry smiled in triumph and Averey rolled her eyes.

"And Perfection—"

"Why do you even still have that game?" Averey asked, now turning her attention towards the younger scientist. Cisco shrugged.

"My mom likes to keep stuff," he replied.

"—You should be happy you at least beat me at one thing," Barry finished his thought. She had easily crushed him in every round of the matching card game. Her victory was short lived with everything else he won. "But, we have proven that I'm the better competitor."

"You know what, I know what this is," Averey said, stepping over to him, jabbing her finger into his chest. "This is all because you _still _haven't gotten over the fact that a _girl _beat you in a bike race!"

"What?" Barry asked. "I've never lost a bike race—"

"You did once," Averey said with a smug smile. "About, oh, 21 years ago on Birch Street from the giant tree on the corner to the fire hydrant."

Barry brought a hand to his chin as he thought. That wasn't the first time she had brought up a very specific moment like that. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to bring the memory forward. Just last week her comment about being a "dog murderer" had brought up the feeling of something being on the tip of his tongue.

He would have asked her to further explain her comment, but during that week he was dealing with dodging Captain Singh and his talks about looking for an anger management course—and time management for that matter—for him, Snart and Rory being broken out of their transport vehicle on the way to Iron Heights, the seemingly increase in crimes around the city, the fake calls to have the Flash appear just for proof, actually enjoying the few days off he would get, increasing his speed at STAR Labs with all of his tests, and training exercises with Averey, and, and, and. Even though he could get things done quickly using his speed, even he could feel overwhelmed with everything that was going on in his life.

But this memory, this thought was trying to make its way to the forefront of his brain. Late at night when he finally could get some sleep was spent trying to figure out why it wouldn't go away. Incorporating that thought with every other cringe-inducing memory from his teen years made it hard for him to shut off his brain for even five minutes.

Even so, he ran down that street on a few occasions, hurrying through Central City to take on whatever crime that was occurring at the time; faster than when he was being chased by bullies. The wind rushed past him faster than he could ever imagine on a bike. An image of that street popped into his head. He could see it clearly; Iris was standing at the "finish line" waiting to see who would win. The win whistled past his ears, cutting out every sound except for barking. The last time he'd hear those barks. Barry felt sadness creep over him.

Truth be told, he hadn't thought about that day in a long time. It was the same day his dog, Bandit, had somehow gotten out of the house and was hit and killed by a truck right in front of him. He was _sure_ he had left the back gate closed. But, with how many trips back and forth in and out of the house he, Iris, and…_wait._

"That was _you_?" he asked, his eyes flying open. Averey gave a small nod as his jaw dropped.

"Finally, you remembered," Averey commented. "For someone who has the reputation of being very perceptive, you sure did take your time with that one, didn't you, mate?"

"Why didn't you say anything?" Barry asked, gaping at her. "I mean—" He didn't know what to say. For the past few months, he thought he had _just _met the Australian girl. To suddenly remember that he had met her all those years ago was…weird.

Averey opened and closed her mouth before shrugging. "It was years ago, and I hadn't come back since, so…" She cracked a grim smile. "Besides, I seem to remember you saying you never wanted to see me again."

Barry cringed. That was all coming back to him, too. He was a wreck after his dad had told him that Bandit had died and there wasn't any point in calling the vet. For the rest of the day all he did was cry; he would've even spent all that night sleeping in his dog's wire kennel if his mom hadn't insisted he sleep in his own bed. He screamed at everyone that wanted to tell him that Bandit was happy in "doggy heaven", or that he "went quickly". None of it worked to comfort him, he had insisted at the time, because "he isn't _here_."

"I know I closed it," Barry insisted. "There was no way he could've gotten out."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't kill your stupid dog?" Averey asked, throwing her hands into the air.

"Hey! Bandit wasn't stupid," Barry protested. "I mean…it _did _take him a bit to figure out he needed a smaller stick to get through the doorway, but he wasn't stupid. And he _did_ think shoes were attacking him…"

"Wait a minute," Cisco said, getting to his feet. He pointed his index fingers at Averey and Barry and crossed and uncrossed his arms as he indicated back and forth between the two of them. He gave them a wide-eyed look. "You two have met before?"

"Yeah, that's surprising, isn't it?" Caitlin asked; a flat tone to her voice. Barry looked over at her and she quickly became interested in what was on the clipboard in front of her, practically holding it up in front of her face. She crossed one leg over the other. "No, the numbers don't lie; Barry's won the most games."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Cisco asked, continuing the previous conversation.

"You're forgotten by enough people in your life, it doesn't really make a difference when one more person does," Averey muttered.

"No, but I mean, if you're holding on to that you won a bike race over 21 years ago," Barry replied, "which, by the way, you did not win."

Averey stared at Barry silently lifting a finger in the air before pointing it in a random direction. "Go find a bloody bike and I'll race you right now," she declared.

"Have you seen what he can do on the treadmill when he's not trying?" Cisco asked with a snort. "I don't think that's a good idea." Barry gave Averey a smug smile and she made a face at him.

"Enough." Dr. Wells maneuvered himself into the Cortex and loudly cleared his throat. He reached for the remote sitting on the computer table and pointed it at the TV, turning them on. Barry exchanged a confused look with Averey before he shifted his gaze over towards the STAR Labs employees, who turned their seats towards the screens mounted on the walls.

For the past few days, Dr. Wells hadn't joined them in the Cortex. In fact, unless Caitlin and Cisco hadn't brought up how weird he had been acting lately, shutting himself all alone in a room, Barry wouldn't have even realized he was coming in to work. From what Caitlin could tell, he spent all his time watching the news, something that was worrying to the two scientists.

Barry had noticed that Dr. Wells wasn't one who was really concerned with what was happening around the city that wasn't metahuman related, but he never thought that watching the news could be considered a worrying trait. Maybe that attributed to why everyone in the city was still mad at him a year later—not that an explosion that rocked the city could be forgotten so quickly.

"Dr. Wells," Caitlin said quietly, "what's going on?"

Dr. Wells was silent for a moment, save for the sigh that he released into the silence. He pointed the remote at the TV as he came to a stop on a news channel. "That," he announced, "is what's going on."

Barry's eyebrows scrunched together as a picture of a newswoman standing in front of Mercury Labs appeared on screen. In large letters at the bottom of the screen were the words "Mercury Labs Employee Data Leaked" as the woman, named Linda Park as her name and social media tag was shown beneath the headline news, spoke into the microphone she held in front of her.

"What the hell?" Cisco asked. In response, Dr. Wells turned up the volume on the TV.

"For those of you just tuning in with us," Linda explained, "it seems that the notorious Royal Flush Gang has taken a step up in the world of crime to leaking of sensitive data. Information regarding the employment history of Mercury Labs, and the history of employees—such as their past success in the science industry, and fabrication of data used to receiving grants to fund their experiments."

"_What_?" Averey and Caitlin yelped in unison. Hearing a clatter, Barry saw Caitlin was standing on her feet, shock on her face. In comparison, Averey had an absent look on her face.

"Head of Mercury Labs, Dr. Christina McGee, has turned down requests for comments at this time; however, many have reached out to get her stance on the leak. No one knows for sure how the Royal Flush Gang has obtained this information, but word has it that Dr. McGee may have had been threatened with this information being leaked if they did not get a project back. There's no word on which project this was as Mercury Labs have, quote, many projects in development, end quote."

"Just recently, Mercury Labs was in the news when a handful of police officers were killed in a paranormal break in involving, who many have believed to be, The Flash. Since then, Central City's Flash, previously known as The Streak, has proven himself to be that entity that's saved numerous people. Now working with a new hero, Visionary, we can be sure that Central City is in safe hands."

"I'm Linda Park, giving my final report at KSFZ Channel 8 News," the woman said with a wistful smile, "back to you, David, and thank you, everyone, for giving me the honor of working with you and delivering news right into your homes." The camera panned over towards the building, zooming in until Mercury Labs' name filled the screen.

A green speaker icon with a slash on it appeared in the top right hand of the screen as the sound was muted.

"I feel like this is my fault," Dr Wells said, breaking the stretch of silence.

"Dr. Wells," Barry instantly spoke up. "You can't blame yourself for something like this happening."

"Can't I?" Dr. Wells asked, deadpan as he turned around to face everyone. "This all, much like everything else I presume, goes back to the particle accelerator accident." He twisted his fingers together in his lap. "Dr. McGee had come to me not too long ago and revealed this threat to me. I didn't take it too seriously, and as we can see, it was the wrong choice of action."

"If the accident had never occurred, Barry, you never would've gotten your speed and because of that Cisco would've never created the Cold Gun, which wouldn't have been stolen." Cisco grimaced, shuffling his weight form foot to foot. "He never would've built Mick a heat gun, and never would've kidnapped Caitlin and Cisco just to try and lure you out. And Ronnie wouldn't be in the state he is in currently—a fate worse than death in my opinion." Dr. Wells shook his head back and forth before he removed his glasses from his face. "I'm giving you all the chance now to—"

"Don't even think it, Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, interrupting her boss. "Cisco and I respect you and we know that you didn't intend for all of this to happen." She tucked her hair behind her ears as she lowered herself back into her seat, leveling her gaze with Dr. Wells. "We're not going to leave; not now. You've given us a wonderful opportunity to work here and we'll stay as long as you'll have us."

"That's right," Cisco agreed with a nod of his head. "I'd probably still be out looking for a job if you didn't bring me on here."

"I appreciate the sentiments," Dr. Wells said as he twisted his glasses between his fingers before setting them back on his face. "I really do."

"What was it that Dr. McGee needed to get back?" Averey asked. She pointed towards the TV. "The news reporter said that the Royal Flush Gang wanted her to get a project back?"

"The tachyonic particles," Cisco replied, snapping his fingers. "But, if we didn't have it then we wouldn't have been able to stop the Reverse Flash. And it's not like we set out to have it stolen."

"Be that as it may, it's not the best publicity for anyone in this field," Dr. Wells commented. He seemed somber, but Barry noticed something in the older man's eyes.

Looking past the glare on the lenses of Dr. Wells's glasses from the ceiling lights, he tried to pinpoint what the thought was. Amusement, maybe? Almost like he was happy Mercury Labs was getting the bad reputation. Barry had seen that look before, when he all but blackmailed Dr. McGee into giving them the tachyonic prototype in the first place.

"Of anything, Dr. Wells, this is _my _fault," Barry said, putting a hand to his chest. "If I had focused more on building up my speed, I could've captured him the first time and we wouldn't have ever needed to try and catch him." He started to pace. "And if I really focused on my speed, I would've been able to stop Snart and Mick from kidnapping Caitlin and Cisco."

"We're ok, Barry," Caitlin insisted, turning to face him. "We don't blame you." She lifted an eyebrow leaning just slightly to the side to look past him and over at Averey. "Or you. Both you and Firestorm did your best to help us and in the end, we got back safe."

"Their rope burns are healing well and—_crap_!" Averey suddenly screamed.

Barry jumped at the sudden shout, his heart racing. His first instinct was to look around the room, the second to start running, but he kept himself rooted to the spot as she was asked what was wrong. "The time! I'm going to be late for work."

Barry glanced at the clock on the bottom right corner of the screen and gasped loudly. "Ohhh man, so am I," he declared as Averey started to gather her belongings. "Captain is going to kill me. Hey, I'll run you over."

"Cheers, Barry," Averey said with a nod.

"This early?" Caitlin asked, glancing at the time.

Averey gave a sheepish grin. "I'm not exactly allowed to work late shifts for the time being," she explained. Then a serious look came to her face. "Caitlin, Cisco, the next time I'm free were starting training."

"Training?" the two scientists repeated, exchanging surprised looks.

"After what happened to you guys, it won't hurt to learn how to defend yourself," Averey explained before tilting her head in Caitlin's direction. "Plus, high heels make a good weapon. And Cisco—"

"I grew up with two brothers; I know how to defend myself," Cisco said flatly. An annoyed look came across his face as he shook his head back and forth.

"Close to his birthday, eh?" Barry asked, clapping Cisco on the shoulder. "Hey, if you really don't want to go—"

"Which you _should_," Caitlin insisted. "It's his birthday, Cisco, everyone wants family around for their birthday."

"Not everyone," Cisco replied with a shrug.

"I'll treat you to a round of drinks," Barry finished his sentence. "Just let me know. I need a night out, anyway."

"Free drinks?" Cisco asked with a grin. He held his palm out towards Barry and with a loud _clap_, the speed metahuman slapped his palm. "You know I'm in."

Caitlin sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Barry, since you can't get drunk, make sure he does try to reenact the Titanic on the city's fountain again," Caitlin advised. Averey quickly turned her laugh into a cough, despite her shaking shoulders giving her amusement away. Barry lifted his eyebrows at Cisco who put a hand over his face.

"That was only _once_," he insisted.

"Once was enough," Caitlin replied, arching an eyebrow. Cisco rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you going to be late for work?" Dr. Wells asked, speaking up after a long stretch of silence. He was staring off at a spot in the Cortex before he shifted his gaze over towards Team Flash. His face was blank as he set his glasses back on his face. "I wouldn't want what we're doing here to interfere with your professional lives work."

"Mmm, you brew one coffee, reckon you've brewed 'em all," Averey commented, lifting her hand in a wave. Putting her hand to her chest, she faced Barry as a grimace appearing on her face. "Could you carry me this time? I think I nearly broke a rib when you took me piggy back last time."

Barry chuckled as the two metahumans made their way out of the Cortex and through the winding hall of STAR Labs. "So…I told Iris how I felt about her," he said.

"Ohhh," Averey replied, a frown coming to her face. Barry lifted gave her an odd look. "I mean, _oh_! That's good?" She peered up at him. "How'd it go? How'd Eddie take it?"

"She cried," Barry said, slowly nodding his head. "But, she hasn't said much since then. Eddie's…" His cheeks puffed up as he sucked in a breath of air and held it in his mouth before he let it out. "Well, he's Eddie. He's already felt like something was going on between the two of us. I can't say any guy would be too happy to know another guy confessed romantic feelings to their girlfriend."

"Guess not," Averey agreed. She snapped her fingers. "Iris had mentioned that you were supposed to help her move."

"Yeah, well…" Barry trailed off shrugging. "I thought it would be too awkward—helping her move into her boyfriend's apartment?-and I kind of forgot." He waved his hand in the air. "Anyway, Eddie told me that you're looking for a new place to live. I've moved back in with Joe, you could have my old place if you like? I don't think the landlord has leased it out, yet. But, you would have to be careful of—"

"I'll take any place as long as I can afford it, I'm not picky," Averey interrupted him, grabbing onto his arm.

"Well, Joe did describe it as a metal death trap," Barry replied, rubbing his chin.

"I've seen those _Final Destination _movies enough times to notice when some weird things are going on," Averey joked before pointing at her eyes with her index fingers. "Besides, with these, I could spot Death coming from a mile away. Or more."

"Yeah, well, I think we'll both be dead if we don't get to work on time," Barry said, twisting his mouth to the side as he held his hand out towards her.

"Let's go, Speedy Gonzalez." Averey put her hand in his and he sped her to Jitters, dropping her off before heading to the Central City Police Station.

"Barry, just in time," Joe said as soon as he stepped through the double doors to the main workstations.

"Sorry, I—" Barry did a double take, his excuse dying on his lips. "Wait, what?" He put his hands in the air and briefly closed his eyes. "Sorry, I'm just so used to being late."

Joe chuckled as he clapped Barry on the shoulder. "Maybe if you started getting here on time you wouldn't hear it that often," he said, shaking his head. "I honestly don't understand how you can be so fast but never be on time."

"My mind runs at a mile a minute, going to work gets lost in the shuffle sometimes," Barry said with a shrug and a half smile. "What's going on? Did you hear about Mercury Labs."

Joe let out a sigh. "That's part of what this is about," Joe replied with a nod of his head. He reached for the newspaper on his desk and handed it to Barry. "Mercury Labs Hack Worst in Central City History; Royal Flush Gang Graduates from Bank Robbery" stared back at him in big bold letters.

"Captain Singh sent some of the unit down to Mercury Labs to investigate that leak." He placed his hand on Barry's shoulder and guided him into a corner and lowered his voice. "Something happened late last night at Iron Heights."

Barry felt his eyes widen. "Is dad-?" He grabbed Joe's arm in a tight grip.

"It's ok, your dad's fine," Joe quickly reassured the young adult. "There was a break out of some sort. Clay Parker was missing during count." He fixed Barry with a solemn gaze. "And so did some members of the Royal Flush Gang; they might have been the recently arrested members that were discovered at the foundry when the Arrow was in town. We won't know until we get down there."

Barry felt his mouth go dry. First Mercury Labs sensitive information was leaked and now members somehow broke out of jail. With a sinking feeling, Barry realized there was no way it could have been a coincidence. A crinkling sound reached his ears and looking down, he realized that the newspaper was being crumpled in the tight grip of his hands. He slowly relaxed his grip and looked up at Joe.

"Let's find Eddie and head over there."

* * *

"Now you see what happens when you don't listen to us? And that was us being nice to Dr. McGee."

Averey pinched the bridge of her nose as she paced a circle around the back room at Jitters during her break. After finding a second cell phone ringing in her bag, those were the first words she heard when she answered. She didn't have to think hard about who was on the other end of the line and what Gavin was referring to.

"I'll take your silence as a 'yes'. I'd hate to have something like this happen to you or your family."

Averey pressed her lips together. She knew this wasn't just a courtesy call. Seeing the black phone in her bag caused a sick feeling to settle into her stomach and it increased with that threat. "You're not going to hurt my family," she hissed into the mouthpiece of her phone, practically ramming it into her mouth. "I won't let you. How could you do something like this?"

"So we have nothing to worry about, then." He blatantly ignored her question.

"…What do you need me to do this time?" she asked.

"Queen will pick you up tonight after shift and she'll take you to our next location. Keep this phone on." Then the line went dead. Averey threw the duplicate phone into the chair closest to her. It bounced on the cushion before landing face up, staring innocently up at her.

"Don't look at me like that," she said to the phone before crossing the room to it. She grabbed the phone and slid it into the pocket of her bag before making her way back out to the coffee house floor. Ordering herself a hot chocolate and cinnamon bun she sat down at an empty table to enjoy the rest of her time off the clock until the next rush of customers came in.

Looking up as the door burst open, she saw Iris come flying in with a wide, excited smile on her face, pulling Caitlin in behind her. "Ave!" she cried as she reached the Australian girl.

"Iris!" Averey replied with the same amount of enthusiasm. She gave Iris an odd look as the African-American woman shoved Caitlin into an empty chair before sitting in one of her own. "Where's the fire?"

"I came in on a coffee run and Iris dragged me in here," Caitlin said, looking stunned. "She says she has exciting news."

"I do," Iris said with a bright smile. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she was silent, building up anticipation. "I just came from an interview at Central City Picture News for a job as a news reporter."

"Iris, that's amazing," Caitlin said with a warm smile, reaching across the table to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I know, I know," Iris agreed. "The editor is a fan of my blog about the Flash and the other sightings going on around town. He said he was really impressed with my write up about the Flash and Visionary's fight against Snart and Rory at the CCPD, and wanted me to come in for an interview. So, I called off work this morning and went and he's offered me a job."

"And it all started from a blog for one of your classes," Averey commented. "To think you weren't even interested in journalism before."

Iris's demeanor suddenly changed as she groaned, tilting her head up towards the ceiling. "Which means he was riiiight," she complained, holding out the last word. "I hate it when he's right."

"He's not right all the time," Averey commented, smiling smugly to herself, and Caitlin kicked her in the shin. She hid her grunt of pain behind a large mouthful of cinnamon roll. As she chewed, she put a hand over her mouth and asked, "Have you told him, yet?"

"I haven't even had the chance to tell my dad," Iris said with a shake of her head. "Today's been so crazy what with the Mercury Labs hack, and the news of the prison break from Iron Heights. I don't think I could reach him."

Averey nodded her head. The news was the only thing on the TVs on the walls of Jitters. Only one person had been named in the break out; a Clay Parker. His mugshot had been coming up on TV every once in a while urging the citizens to be on the lookout for him as they "waited for more news to arrive at the station."

"Well, this calls for a celebratory drink on me," Caitlin said as she reached for her purse to get her wallet. "That is amazing news, Iris. I'm really happy for you."

"At least one of us can stop smelling like coffee at the end of each day," Averey said, lifting her drink in a toast. Iris rolled her eyes.

"I'll get you to like it one day, mark my words," she said, pointing a warning finger in Averey's direction. Giving Caitlin a nod of thanks, she took the money from Caitlin's hand and made her way up to the counter.

"Coffee run?" Averey asked, swinging her head to look over at Caitlin, lifting her eyebrows.

Caitlin shrugged. "It's not going to be long before Barry really puts two and two together about your previous visit to Central City," she said matter-of-factly.

"I don't doubt it," Averey replied, pushing her cinnamon roll towards her friend. Caitlin ripped off a small chunk and popped it into her mouth. "But, I was told not to tell him, so I won't." Caitlin stayed silent. "You think I like not telling him?"

"I'm just wondering why you're taking orders from your dad when he hasn't been in that position of authority for years," Caitlin said with a shrug. "That's all."

Averey was silent for a moment, rapping her knuckles on the table. "Did you know that when you go to visit someone in prison, you have to be on a list of accepted people?" she asked, staring out the front windows of Jitters.

"Yes, of course."

"When I first visited Iron Heights, my name was already on that list," Averey explained. "So is my mum and so Daniel." Her chest swelled as she took in a deep breath of air. "I don't know when he had those applications sent out, but he did and my parents filled it out. I always wanted to think that my dad was a selfish, terrible person because it was the easiest way to understand why he'd be gone."

Averey pressed her lips together for a moment before facing Caitlin, propping her chin up with her hand. "But to find out he had lost his life the second the judge gave him his sentence, and to know he still wanted to give a relationship with me a fair go, it wasn't hard to agree to do this for him." She twisted her mouth to the side. "If he wants to let Barry know himself, I'll let him do that."

Caitlin slowly nodded her head before she sat up straighter in her seat. "Have I ever told you that my dad passed away years ago?" Caitlin asked quietly. Averey blinked, taken aback.

"No," she replied. "And I can't say I saw that coming, either."

"Well, I haven't told a lot of people," Caitlin commented with a twitch of her lips. "He died of multiple-sclerosis. I knew something was wrong, but my mom and dad never said anything to me." She crossed one leg over the other, settling back in her seat. "I had to watch him change in front of me for months before they told me what was wrong. I know it's not the same as never knowing for years but in a way, I understand your anger for not being told the truth."

"But?" Averey prompted. She pointed a finger in Caitlin's face and repeatedly drew a circle in the air. "I can see it in your face." She dropped her hand on the table. "By the way, that's a great eye shadow color on you."

"Thank you," Caitlin said with a half smile. "But—"

"I knew it."

"_But, _on the other hand, knowing what you know about Barry," Caitlin continued, "more secrets won't help matters." She glanced over in Iris's direction and lowered her voice. "My dad didn't win his fight against M.S., what I considered his own personal prison, but we both know Barry is going to do whatever he can to give your dad a second chance. And he needs to be able to trust everyone around him to do that. Besides, you and Barry act like brother and sister enough already."

"Here's your change, Caitlin," Iris said, setting dollar bills and coins onto the table before reoccupying the seat she had abandoned. "Boy, did I need this. I have no idea how I made it through the interview this morning, I was tossing and turning all night."

"If Eddie was there I'm not all that surprised about that," Averey commented before she started laughing. Iris and Caitlin exchanged glances before staring at the Australian girl. She immediately sobered. "I'm sorry, that wasn't funny." She threw a hand in the air. "It's my sense of humor!"

"While we're on the topic of humorous things," Caitlin commented, smoothing a crease on the hem of her dress, "I'll tell you what I think is funny." She set her gaze on Averey. "You kissed Cisco."

"On the cheek," Averey instantly replied, seeing the amused look on Iris's face. "And it was more of an air kiss." She shrugged. "It's a habit; it's how I greeted my mates back home." She let out an odd laugh. "I had to quickly learn not to do that when I first moved here."

"You're deflecting," Caitlin pointed out.

"Damn right I am," Averey replied with a nod and Iris laughed. She leaned back in her chair, balancing on the back two legs of her chair. "Ok, would either of you to feel comfortable if I did that?"

"Well…" Iris trailed off as she exchanged glances with Caitlin.

"Yeah, neither were the women at the jet bridge, or the gate staff, or my taxi driver at the airport," Averey commented, rubbing her chin. She looked over at the clock on the wall. "And I'll leave you on that note. Got to get back to work. Say, Iris, you wouldn't want to pour a cup or two for old time's sake would you? Before you leave us all to move on to bigger and better things?"

"Not a chance," Iris said, lifting her mug into the air. "But, I will let you know the first opportunity you can see my byline."

"Thought not." Averey gathered her trash and, after getting an order for Caitlin to go, headed back behind the counter to finish out her shift. She hoped the rest of the day would drag on, but before she knew it, she was in Casey's car, her own specialized helmet sitting in her lap with a big, black 8 emblazoned on the sides. "Where are we going?"

"We're almost there," Casey replied, zipping up her black jacket.

"What are we doing this for, anyway?" Averey asked. "Stealing?"

"Just get ready."

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to get answers," Averey said, a hard tone suddenly coming to her voice, surprising herself. "You're already holding my family over my head, but I deserve to know what it is I'm working towards."

Casey's grip tightened on the steering wheel for a moment. "Do you want to live like this your whole life?" she asked. "With what your eyes can do? Remembering everything; good and bad?" Averey was silent. She hadn't thought too much about it. Helping Team Flash at STAR Labs and keeping her family safe was her main priorities right now and those involved her enhanced eyesight. "Well, not everybody wants to. If there's a way to get people back to normal, there will need to be enough money to fund those experiments. It's what the money is for."

"…Gavin doesn't want his powers anymore, does he?" Averey asked after a moment of silence.

"Would _you_ want to go the rest of your life knowing that one small touch gives you an all access pass to someone's life?" Casey asked with a smart. "It'd make it hard to get close to anyone." She seemed to have noticed she gave away too much and let out a quiet, "Shit" under her breath. "Just get ready, Eight."

Sarcastically saluting, Averey reached into the back of her helmet and retrieved a pair of gloves sliding them over her hands. Casey pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car behind a van. Climbing out of the car, the two girls were met up with Gavin and Brent as the doors to the van opened. They were all wearing jackets with stripes along the elbows with a K, Q, and J on the shoulders, matching hers.

"Are you sure this is the right call for her, Gav?" Casey asked, her helmet tucked under her arm. She set down on the ground by the black bag she dropped at her feet. Gavin answered her as she pulled her blonde hair back into a stub of a ponytail.

"Yes," Gavin replied, answering Casey as if Averey wasn't there. "We need her. But I also have heard some rumblings of a guy who can peel cards off his arms, or whatever, that I've been trying to keep an eye on." He shook his head. "She can do this. She has no choice."

Averey closed her eyes, bowing her head. She had said that. "Let's go, then, yeah?" Averey slid the helmet on over her head and quickly regretted her food and drink choices for the day as her breath was caught inside her helmet. Shoes crunching over the loose gravel and twigs on the ground as they traveled up the road before slinking along the side of the house they reached. Casey revealed a tablet-like device from her bag and with a couple quick taps and swipes, she gave Gavin a thumbs up.

Minutes later, they were inside the spacious house, surrounding by the swaying melody of a classical tune. A fire was lit in an elongated glass case, illuminating the otherwise dark room. Each room seemed to lead into the other with barely any walls, but each housing another piece of abstract art.

"There doesn't look to be anything here," Brent spat, voice muffled by his helmet, otherwise coming in clear through an ear piece built inside the helmet. "The art is too big to bring in and I doubt we could take it without it easily being traced back to us when we try to pawn it." He elbowed Gavin in the side. "So, what are we trying to take? The grand piano?"

"Harrison Wells is one of the richest men in the city," Gavin replied and Averey's queasy stomach returned with a vengeance. They were in _Dr. Wells's _house? Then again, Dr. Wells always seemed like a secretive man, so why wouldn't he have a house as isolated as he could get? "He has something here he values worth taking. Unlike Dr. McGee, Dr. Wells doesn't have anything to hide."

_That's what you think, _Averey thought, looking around the room. Anything in the room would get them a lot of money, but it would be hard to carry out through the window and to put in the van. If they were caught, there was no way they could run with anything too heavy and she was already risking someone figuring out her involvement with the Gang. _It's to keep everyone safe, Ave_. _Remember that_. Like she'd really have a problem with remembering that.

"So we can't blackmail him into anything," Gavin finished his explanation. He sounded annoyed; but more like he didn't anticipate the lack of items in the house. "We're wasting time. Just take something you think is high in value. Make it easy to conceal, and easy to carry out. Now go!"

Her chest swelled as she took in a deep breath of air before stepping forward. Keeping her weight on her tiptoes, Averey moved quickly, yet quietly through the dark house. She kept her head on a swivel, watching for any movement and to spot any good objects that she could quickly grab. Gavin, Brent, and Casey's footsteps headed away in different directions. Passing by the wall of fire, she headed into the living room—or what she thought was the living room.

A grand piano sat to her right at the entrance of the room. There wasn't much left except for chairs and a small table—a small table that was holding up something that glinted against the firelight. The item came into focus. It was a round, shiny, wedding band. Perfect.

Seconds later, the band was in her hand. Holding it up towards the light, she turned it around in her hand. Dr. Wells never wore a wedding ring at work, at least not that she had noticed. Caitlin took hers off the second she got to STAR Labs, but always kept it near her or in her line of sight. Sliding the ring into her pocket, she swallowed thickly. "I have something," she whispered. "A ring; a diamond ring. Looks like it'd go for a few grand."

She got words of encouragement and excitement from the other gang members and moved to make her way out of the room, freezing when a red and yellow streak caught her eye. The Reverse-Flash. His eyes seemed to smolder even more with the firelight beside him. Her breath caught in her throat and her bottom lip started to shake. Then she felt her arm shaking. Her whole body. Was he doing something to her? Some sort of electrical attack?

"Eight!" A loud shout bounced around her skull and Averey flinched, blinking violently. Gavin was shaking her. "Eight, let's go." He shoved her and she planted her feet into the ground. She wasn't going to get anywhere near the Reverse-Flash. "Come on!"

"Do you see him?" Averey asked. She lifted a shaking finger. "He's right there. Do you see him? Do you see him?!"

"No, I don't see anything."

"What do you mean you can't see him?" Averey asked. Her voice cracked into a strangled, yet high pitched tone. "_He's standing right in front of you_." She pointed at the menacing yellow suit. "You can't see him?" She could see Gavin's eyes narrow behind his helmet.

"What I see is you freaking out," Gavin hissed before grabbing her elbow. "Let's go before you blow our cover." He tugged on her arm, pulling her out of the back exit of the room, into the main entrance of the house.

"He's right there!" Averey craned her neck and could still see the man in the room. He was facing them, watching them.

"Let's move."

The classical music stopped and everything went still. The fire crackled and popped in its case. And then, a phone chimed. It rang once, twice, three times, before it was answered in the middle of the jingle and a voice said, "Harrison Wells." The voice was somewhere in front of them. Maybe near the kitchen. Still too close. All he had to do was walk out of the room and he would spot them.

A low hum was heard before a loud crash was heard as the glass ceiling over the very center room exploded, sending shards showering down to the floor. Pop. Pop. Pop. All the windows around them expelled inwards one right after another. Averey started running, following behind Gavin as he hurried through the rooms of the house. Running as fast as they could, staying low and trying to stay away from everything glass, they neared the back of the house and was rejoined by Brent and Casey.

They hauled themselves out the window, one by one. As soon as their feet hit the ground, they rushed through the dark, back towards their waiting cars. Averey collided with the side of the van, moving too fast to stop slow herself down in time. Her legs shook and buckled and she leaned heavily against the metal to keep herself standing.

"The ring," Brent said between gasps for air. "Let's see the ring."

Averey hastily reached into her pocket and grasped the ring, nearly throwing it at him. She needed to get it away from her. She needed air. Ripping off her helmet, Averey stumbled for a few steps, doubled over, and threw up into the grass.

* * *

**A/N:** The closer we get to the episode, "Out of Time", the closer we get to the crossover story between us and Crystal Manning, called _Flashpoint._ While you're waiting, check out the story _Crossfire_ (sequel to_ Flash Fire_) on this account (as well at the Barry/OC fic _Sparks Fly_), and _The Mark of Sage _from Crystal Manning.

On another note, the beginning part of the Barry/Averey scene in STAR Labs was originally a one-shot to see how competitive the two of them are. Another part coming up in the near future was also a one-shot I decided to put in here. I still have another Cisco/Averey one-shot to do and I also have a Cisco/Averey Christmas based story I'm thinking of right now as well.

_Kellie: _And there's even more with Barry and Averey coming. Glad you liked it.

_Guest: _Thanks for reading! Hope this one is just as good for you.

_Ethan: _It's weird to say I love seeing Grant cry, but that's generally my first reaction to seeing his emotional scenes. Grant is really knocking this role out of the park and each episode makes me more excited to see what he'll pull off next. And as this chapter shows, she's not really blaming herself for the dog getting out.

_Crystal Ramon: _Thanks for reading. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

_Guest: _Thank you for letting me know how you feel regarding this story. I know that not everyone is going to enjoy my writing or my characters. I'm working on how to write Australians which is why I do as much research as I possibly can and get other opinions on it and am using fanfiction to gain more experience in working with it. I feel it has changed from how I've been writing it in the first chapter. If you have any tips on how to make her sound more authentic, let me know. I will, however, not stop writing. I enjoy writing and know there will be people who enjoy my work and people who don't, but quick and aggressive feedback isn't going to get me to stop. I'm sorry you chose the aggressive route to get your thoughts across but it's not going to deter me from what I enjoy doing. If there's anything else you'd like to talk about one on one drop me a line. Otherwise, once again, I thank you for your thoughts.


	24. Stop Looking for a Way Out

**-Chapter Twenty-Four-**

**"Stop Looking for a Way Out"**

* * *

"First Iron Heights and now this." Joe watched as Barry pressed his finger onto the shutter button of his camera. The sound of the shutter clicking was heard before the forensic scientist lowered his camera from his eye. Shaking his head back and forth, Joe took in the scene in front of him.

Glass was shattered everywhere. Even the vases were lying in pieces, surrounding the bases they previously sat on. If everything else in the house didn't look to be undamaged, Barry would've thought that a bomb had gone off.

"It's lucky that you weren't here when it happened," he said, turning towards Harrison who sat off to the side, silently observing the police as they made their way through his home. He tapped his pen against the notepad in his hands. Only one witness to the crime; or semi-witness. This was going to be a harder one to solve. "Who knows what kind of condition you'd be in now."

"Couldn't be worse than what I'm already dealing with," Harrison replied. Joe watched as his grip tightened momentarily on the arm rests of his wheelchair. "Don't apologize. I've come to terms with it by now. Even I forget about it sometimes." Joe humored him with a nod of his head as I he agreed. "In my line of work, you're taking risks every time you step into STAR Labs. I'm sure you understand that."

"Yes, I do," Joe agreed. But it was never himself that he thought of every time he had to put on his bullet proof vest. It was Iris, who had already gone years without one parent, and Barry, who only had himself and Iris left to call family. He did everything he could to make sure he could make it home safely to give them another day with a parent. "Why do you think they attacked you? Whoever this is."

"Believe it or not, just the mention of STAR Labs is bound to be a sore spot for some people even a year and a half later," Harrison commented with a hint of a laugh. "Maybe they didn't take too kindly with trying to help you with Snart and Rory." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Who knows?"

"So you can't think of anyone that would want to do you harm?" Joe asked.

"I could think of plenty of people, detective, that's not the problem," Harrison replied with a mirthless smile. "It's just narrowing it down to one person that could prove to be difficult."

Joe shifted his gaze towards the ceiling and uttered a silent prayer to help him get through dealing with the mysterious man. There was just something about Harrison Wells that made Joe feel like he was talking to a caricature of the world renowned scientist. He could find one exit of the maze that was Harrison Wells and be standing at five more entrances to delve in deeper. Whether he was only going to know the man for five more minutes or five more years, Joe was sure he'd never get to know the real Harrison Wells.

"Daaaaang." Joe turned to see Caitlin and Cisco stepping into Dr. Wells's house. "It's like a museum." Cisco spun in a circle in the foyer, his look of awe turning into shock. "Only smashed and robbed."

"Cisco!" Caitlin said with a frown. Clutching her purse tightly to her side, she hurried over to Harrison, dodging the glass on the floor. "We came as soon as we heard, Dr. Wells. I hope you're ok."

"Nothing I haven't dealt with before, Dr. Snow," Harrison replied, placing his hand over top of hers. "I didn't mean to worry you." As if sensing eyes on her, Caitlin looked over in Joe's direction and blushed, quickly removing her—shaky—hand. Joe lifted an eyebrow, but decided not to press the, admittedly, interesting issue.

"Is Averey with either of you?" Joe questioned. He tapped his notepad against the heel of his palm as he walked closer to the two scientists, lowering his voice as he did so. "I asked her down to see if maybe she could spot something the rest of us couldn't."

"Oh, yes, detective, we gave her a ride over," Caitlin said, brushing her hair behind her ears. "She's surveying the exterior of the house first."

Joe nodded his head in thanks before sliding his notepad into his pocket, heading out of the glass-filled living room and out the front door. He ducked under the yellow caution tape and waved at Eddie who came up the driveway. "Man, I hate it when you come to me looking that confused," Joe commented as he came up to his partner. "What's up?"

"Some of the few other house owners on this street say they remembered seeing three vehicles here around the time of the incident," Eddie replied. He pushed his coat back behind him and put his hands on his hips. "But they didn't hear anything. Maybe because of how far away they are, but this looks like all the windows blew out at once. How the hell does that happen?"

"I stopped asking myself that question the minute I saw Mark Mardon conjure a tornado out of nothing," Joe replied, deadpan.

Sure, the different abilities these metahumans could have surprised and, in a way, impressed him, but every call of some "strange activity" going on was becoming second nature to him. He wasn't a scientist or anything like that, but despite his main priority being to keep his city safe, he was fascinated with just how differently the particle accelerator affected those who have shown abnormal abilities.

On a couple of instances he had even found himself thinking of what kind of abilities he could potentially have. The accident certainly made him more of a worrier when it came to Iris and Barry, but parents had their own set of super powers to begin with. He didn't need to be a detective to know whenever something was bothering either of them, or what was the best pick me up to get them out of a funk, and his advice, while not always taken at the time, was to the best of his ability given his life experience so far.

If only he had gotten some kind of advice to deal with this. He had a feeling that the act of "rubbing some dirt in it" wasn't going to help matters much. In the case of a jail break, a well established laboratory being dragged through the mud, and an attack on a man's glass house, what was a little dirt throwing here and there?

"Wait, three vehicles?" Joe asked his partner.

"But only two cars left," Eddie replied with a nod of his head.

"Dr. Wells said he wasn't here when it happened," Joe said, repeating the scientist's words.

"I know scientists are known for keeping secrets," Eddie said, with a short laugh of amusement, "but, Joe, if he _was _here, how'd he get out without a scratch on him?" He waved his hand in the air, indicating the house. "His whole house is made of glass."

"That's exactly what I want to know," Joe commented. "Let's hope he hasn't thrown a stone or two." _Or cast any aside. _

"God knows he'd have enough," Averey said with a frown as she walked over to the two police detectives. "The place is surrounded by rocks like a freakin' moat. Who wouldn't fight the urge to throw some?"

"But we didn't find rocks inside the house," Eddie said, giving her a confused look.

"And you won't," Averey replied with a shake of her head as she walked around the side of the house. She brushed her hands on her jeans before examining the skin on the heel of her palms. "The glass wasn't broken at a certain focal point like you'd find if it was shot through or a soccer ball or two went through it." Joe gave her an odd look and, when she noticed the silence, she looked up at the two detectives and shrugged. "I didn't always have the best aim during footy practice. Anyway, the crack pattern in the glass doesn't line up with something going through it."

"So what broke the glass?" Eddie asked, throwing his hands into the air.

"Let's go see what Barry thinks," Joe said, turning on his heels to make his way back inside the house. "Because I'm starting to think Dr. Wells isn't exactly forthcoming with what little information he may have." He reached the door before Averey and Eddie, and pulled it open for them. "What happened to your hands?" Averey glanced down at her hands, putting the red, scraped heels of her palms on display.

"Ooh." Joe heard Eddie's wince from behind him. "I hope you didn't fall into the glass."

"Oh, no," she replied, slipping into the house. "On the rocks. Clumsy me."

Joe hadn't taken courses for his field of employment in a long time, and he could be wrong, but those injuries looked to be hours old. At the most. He had canvassed the area as soon as he arrived and he had noticed the river rocks right off the bat. There didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary with how they were arranged, but he left things like that up to Barry.

For as long as Barry had been working with the CCPD, he was always amazed at how Barry could pinpoint things that he probably wouldn't ever notice. Adding in a metahuman with some crazy optical zoom, he was sure they'd manage to find _something. _

Captain Singh was less than pleased to have them return from Iron Heights with practically nothing to show for it. The inmates wouldn't talk to the detectives—not that Joe could really blame them, the CCPD housed many detectives and officers that put them there after all. The security camera footage wasn't of much help. No one could explain how the unknown woman could appear in one frame and be in another hallway in the next instant. And the black matter Barry was able to pick up from the locations of each of the woman's disappearing act needed time to decipher what exactly it was and the components in it.

With this prison break and Mercury Labs dominating the headlines over the past day, everyone wanted answers to what was happening and how it happened. Were there going to be any arrests? Did they have any suspects? It was a rough and stress filled time for the captain. Joe knew not to what Captain Singh said personally, but even he couldn't help it at times.

"Ok, Joe." Eddie grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Joe turned around to face his partner. "I know you said she was here by special request," Eddie said, lowering his voice as he stepped closer to his partner, "but, I don't see why she needs to be." He put his hands up defensively. "No offense to her or you and not that I'm questioning your judgment."

"Trust me, Eddie, she's helping me out," Joe said, giving his partner a reassuring smile. He could still see the doubt in Eddie's eyes, but the blond haired man dropped the subject with a nod of his head.

"Ok," he replied. "Whatever you say. I'll try talking to Dr. Wells this time."

"Thanks, Eddie," Joe said, giving his partner a nod of thanks. He barely had heard what his co-worker had said as he was now focused on watching Barry use his speed, while being flanked by Caitlin, Cisco, and Averey to stop anyone from noticing. "Have you figured anything else out?"

"Averey's right," Barry said, getting to his feet, shaking his head. He examined the pads of his fingers before lifting his camera to take a picture of the glass pane. "There was nothing that indicates this glass was shattered by something striking it. Something else broke the glass."

"What else could do something like this?" Joe asked.

"Vibrations," Barry replied. "You know how there are some singers out there who can break glass with just their voice?" Joe nodded. "It's that same principle."

Caitlin must have seen the look on Joe's face as she jumped in to explain further. "You see, everything vibrates and has a natural vibration," she explained. 'For this glass, if you can match up the sound waves that the glass emits when you strike it, then you can cause it to break as it will oscillate at a higher frequency. You just have to have the right amplitude."

"So, I'm going to assume there was no garage band practice around here to destroy all the glass here," Joe commented and Caitlin gave a short laugh.

"Probably not," Caitlin agreed. "Come to think of it, I don't even know if Dr. Wells can sing." She looked around the room, shaking her head. "He really has a lovely home. It must be so quiet being by himself."

"Honestly, I thought he would've moved out after what happened with Tess," Cisco commented.

"Who's Tess?" Barry asked.

Joe removed his notepad from his pocket and wrote down the name. It wasn't the first time he had heard her name—it was brought up numerous times in articles after the incident. After he took Barry in for medical monitoring, he took it upon himself to look into the great Dr. Wells's background. His record was squeaky clean, save for a small fire incident at his school once upon a time.

Tess Morgan on the other hand, she could give Harrison a run for his money in terms of the projects completed and accolades she had received for her contribution to the world of science. After her death, her projects were stalled and her notoriety post-mortem had made her name even more recognizable than ever. It was Harrison's failed accelerator that shifted attention from her and her accomplishments to everything Harrison did wrong or could've changed to cause less damage to the city. Plus, for how long he has known the scientist, he has barely ever heard Tess brought up.

"Dr. Wells's wife," Cisco replied. "He doesn't talk about her much, but she was a very smart woman. And pretty, too." He was silent for a moment as he took in everyone's stares. "Just an observation."

"She really contributed a lot to the field," Caitlin agreed quietly. Averey made a noise in the back of her throat, her facial expression suddenly going blank.

"How'd she die?" Barry asked.

"Car accident," Caitlin replied. "They were driving home one night and she swerved on the road—something ran out in front of them or she was trying to avoid something—and the car flipped. Dr. Wells was in the hospital for a little while afterwards. People thought it was a miracle he survived." She brushed her hair back behind her ears. "I think Dr. Wells really put himself into his work after her death."

"Hmm, who does that remind me of?" Cisco asked. Joe pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing as Caitlin took her purse and moved to hit Cisco on the arm with it. Averey quickly jumped forward and grabbed the bag. "Geeze."

Joe caught Barry's wide-eyed look and made a mental note to be careful with the subject around the young woman. He understood her in a way, after losing his own wife, he had to keep himself busy raising Iris and giving her a great childhood to stop and come to terms with things for a while.

"Helping Barry and Averey is important," Caitlin insisted as she hooked her purse back over her shoulder. "We have a lot to learn, too. Anyway, I stumbled across some old journal submissions from Dr. Wells; he didn't plan on having the particle accelerator up until years from now."

_Interesting_. Joe scribbled down his notes. It didn't bring him any closer to understanding what had occurred in the house that night, but it did shed some light on the illustrious man.

"It's not like we never busted our humps to get all the STAR Labs projects up and running for him," Cisco said, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. "Well, I didn't do _that _much before it went kaboom. I wasn't on the team that long."

"Cisco, you did a lot and you know it," Caitlin protested. "You still are."

"Yeah, but if you asked 'The Chosen One'—his name for himself, not mine," Cisco said, his upper lip curling and his vocal tone turning haughty. Joe, Barry, and Averey laughed at his shift in tone. "He broke his back while the rest of us didn't compare."

"I'm getting the feeling you're not a fan of the guy," Joe said to Cisco. Cisco shrugged his shoulders, his seer turning into a smirk. "So what happened to him?"

"He was fired," Caitlin explained. "No one knew why. One day, he was working there—"

"And driving us crazy," Cisco interrupted her.

"Then the next, he was being walked out by security, all of his belongings in a box." She snapped her fingers. "We saw him at Jitters a little over a week ago. He was his usual charming self."

"He said he'd see you again sooner than you think," Averey commented. Joe watched as her eyes shifted back and forth, and up and down before she blinked and corrected her eye alignment. There was a beat of silence as realization struck the group.

"Sounds like we need to find Hartley and have a little talk," Barry commented.

"Believe me, Hartley will find you before you find him," Cisco warned. "And he'll have a snarky, condescending comment as he outsmarted you. Again."

/ / /

Joe paced around the visitors room at Iron Heights. He had slipped away from searching the empty cells of the missing inmates, to speak to one of the guards to set up a visit with Henry. It wasn't the usual visiting hours set up at Iron Heights, but he was able to talk the guards to set one up.

He was sure Barry would continue to worry if he didn't get the chance to see how his dad was doing especially since Iron Heights was now a crime scene. Barry was great at keeping his mind on the job, but Joe could see his eyes jump to every inmate that was walked through the cell block. Plus, it was only fair to have Averey get the chance to finally meet her dad face to face. They both deserved that opportunity.

"Joe." Joe stopped pacing and gave his friend a bright smile as he walked into the room, hands cuffed in front of him. "Somehow, the guard agreed to let me have a visitation today," Henry said with a smile. Joe quickly stepped forward and gave his friend a hug as best he could with the limited mobility of Henry's arms. "I had a feeling you might've had something to do with it."

"Of course," Joe replied. "There was no way I could be here and not give Barry the chance to see you in the same room."

"And?" Henry pressed. He let out an odd laugh as Joe hesitated. "You know it's a bad idea to lie to a doctor."

"And Averey too," Joe admitted.

"You brought them _both_ here?" Henry asked after a moment of staring at his friend.

"Like I said, I wanted to give them the chance to see them that's _not _behind bars or a glass window," Joe said, lifting his eyebrows. Henry let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping.

"It's not that I'm ungrateful." Henry gave Joe a weak smile. "Thank you, Joe. Really." Joe put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You know you have to tell him," Joe said quietly. Henry made a clicking sound with his tongue, eyebrows twitching upwards. "I know it's hard, but you have to." Henry moved to lift his hands and pressed his lips together at the limited mobility for his wrists from the handcuffs. "Parents make mistakes; we're not as perfect as we want our kids to think. We mess up sometimes. Believe me; I've messed up a lot with Barry."

Henry tilted his head back in a laugh. "That's comforting," he said, sarcastically. Joe shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, well, you've always been a great man, Joe. And the perfect person to look after my son." He brandished his handcuffs towards his friend. "I think I screwed up enough as far as the media is concerned," he said.

"Fourteen years in here and you still worry about what other people think of you?" Joe asked. Henry twisted his mouth to the side. Joe moved over to one of the tables in the room and lowered himself into a seat, motioning for Henry to do the same. He watched as his best friend, slowly shuffled over to the table, and he took a seat. "Henry, did you think it was easy for me to tell Barry that you weren't going to come home? After your verdict?"

"I never wanted to think about it," Henry admitted with a short laugh. "Did you forget I didn't even want him to see me here?" He adjusted the collar of his jumpsuit before dropping his hands down onto the table. "I still hate knowing this is the only way he can visit me. At his age, he should be stopping by the house whenever he's in town, or wants a home cooked meal, or get his laundry done for free."

Joe couldn't help but laugh. "Barry's always been self-sufficient, Henry," he reminded his friend.

"You would know that better than I would at this point, eh?" Henry asked.

Joe let out a heavy sigh. "Work with me, Al," he said, running a hand over his face. "I mean, you have Averey on your approved visitors list."

"You haven't called me 'Al' in a long time," Henry commented. "Some of the inmates and guards here do. It's short for Allen, which is short for 'The Wife Murderer'." The bitterness left his face and was replaced with a dull expression. "I never thought she'd come." Joe gave him a pointed look. "What?" Joe started to laugh. "_What_?"

"You, Barry, and Averey are some of the most inquisitive people I've ever met," Joe said as his laughter died down. "You're all in the right fields of employment, let me tell you. What made you think she wouldn't ever try and have a relationship with you? Or trying to find you?" Henry shrugged his shoulders, his eyes darting around the room. "Al! Stop looking for a way out. You have to tell him."

Henry closed his eyes, his face losing all of the tension held in his jaw. "All right," he said, with a nod of his head. He slowly blinked his eyes open. "Go get him for me." Joe got to his feet. "Will you stay? While I tell him?"

"One of the biggest regrets I've had in my life, buddy, is that I didn't stand beside you that night and all during the trial," Joe said with a slow shake of his head. "But, I'm here now. Of course I'll stay."

"You know I don't blame you for that," Henry said to his friend. "I mean it sucked, but, I knew you'd come around." He reached his hand forward and tapped the table with his wrists, the metal of his handcuffs loudly thumping against the table to get his friend's attention. Joe lifted his head and looked his oldest friend in the eyes. "I forgive you."

"Thanks." Joe swallowed the lump he felt forming in his throat. Giving his friend a reassuring smile, he made his way through the halls and back to Clay Parker's jail cell where he found Averey sitting on Barry's shoulders as he stood on the bed. Reaching towards the ceiling of the room, Averey poked a pen into the space between the grates on the ceiling. "Uhh, do I even want to know?"

"Barry, stand still," Averey said, swinging her free arm to keep her balance.

"You try keeping your balance on a mattress," Barry replied through grit teeth. He turned just slightly to acknowledge Joe. "She said she saw something." He peered closely at Joe. "What's up?"

"Come with me for a minute," Joe replied, his gaze shifting to the Australian girl. "Then I'll come get you." His lips twitched upwards into an amused smile despite the cloud of worry swirling around in his chest. He never thought he'd be able to see two of his best friend's kids interacting with each other like this, or at all.

"Just hold on a tick—_gotcha_!" Averey clenched the pen between her teeth and used her fingers to retrieve the slip of papers, and playing cards that slipped through the grate. Joe watched as others slipped between her fingers and fluttered to the ground. Letters. Notes. Correspondence to the outside world.

_Son of a bitch. _Joe ran a hand over his mouth. Who knew how much information was in those letters. Furthermore, how long there had been communications to the outside world, and how long it had been kept a secret in that room. It was times like these that Joe found himself being pulled in two different directions; stick to his duty to the city, or stick to his paternal instincts. Family won out in this case and he was prepared to deal with the consequences should they arrive.

"Averey," Joe said, stepping further into the jail. "I'm just going to take Barry for a moment if you wouldn't mind going through all of those for me?" He watched as she looked warily around the small, brick lined room. He quickly caught on to her discomfort. "You don't have to stay in there. You have a pass, so none of the guards should bother you."

"Oh, no worries," she replied, waving her hand in the air. He didn't miss her quick smile of thanks before putting her attention on the letters in her hands.

"What's going on?" Barry asked, massaging the back of his neck with his hand. His eyebrows were angled together into a look of curiosity and worry. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just need to show you something," Joe replied, placing his hand on Barry's back. He silently led the way into the visiting room he had vacated moments before. He pulled the door open and smiled to himself as he watched Barry's look of worry instantly turn into a bright smile the second he saw his dad. Barry had crossed the room to reach his father, giving him a hug, in a few quick steps.

"Dad."

"Hey, Slugger." Joe watched as Henry's smile flickered into a look of pain as Barry tightly squeezed him. As usual, Barry noticed the shift in his dad's demeanor and took a step back, frowning. "I'm ok. You just hugged me kind of tight, that's all. But, I don't mind it." He sighed. "Man, it's so good to see you."

Barry gave Joe a bright smile, and for a moment, Joe could see the wide-eyed, innocent little boy he took in years ago all over again. "Joe, thank you," he asked.

"I just knew who to ask was all," Joe replied with a shrug of his shoulders. He locked eyes with Henry and gave a slight nod of his head.

"So, um, listen, son," Henry said as he slowly lowered himself into a seated position, prompting Barry to do the same. "I have something very important I have to tell you. Something I haven't been honest about."

"Ok?" Barry replied, his smile fading just slightly.

Joe had seen that look countless times. A nervous laugh could quickly crumble into one of despair. Even still, he'd try and laugh and smile through it all. It was moments like this that really made Joe step back and remember just how much Barry had gone through over the years, and yet he still turned into a charming and respectable young man.

"Um, well," Henry stalled. "The thing is that…" Joe bowed his head, he didn't want to see how Barry took the news. He didn't know if he'd be able to handle it. "A long time ago, your mom and I had gotten into a fight. This was before you were born. I was younger, and selfish, and couldn't communicate with her about how I was feeling when we were married. I still wasn't used to us being 'The Allens' and not 'Henry and Nora'."

Joe crossed his arms tightly over his chest as silence filled the room. The _tick, tick, tick _of the clock counted the seconds that went by. There was a sniff, a swallow, and then a sigh. Lifting his head, Joe watched as Barry's demeanor shifted from curios, to worried, to guarded and then finally hurt and disbelief appeared on his face as Henry explained to him his affair and the subsequent pregnancy. He stiffened, his mouth suddenly going dry as Barry shifted a teary gaze over towards him, almost as if he was asking for help. In that moment, despite years of helping Barry through the aftermath of losing both his parents, he didn't know what to say or how to help.

"Say something, son," Henry prompted.

"Who is it?" Barry asked, his voice cracking. "Have you ever been in contact with your kid? Do you know who they are?"

"Yes," Henry agreed with a nod. He looked pale and to be in pain, like he was physically hurting. Joe hadn't seen his old friend look like that since his first night in prison after his verdict. "And so do you. It's, uh…it's Averey."

Barry's lips pulled back as he let out an odd laugh. He shook his head back and forth. "No," he said, and repeated the word over and over. "No. No. Dad, you wouldn't do that to mom. I don't believe you." Henry wrapped his arms awkwardly around his middle, bending forwards towards the table. "You wouldn't do that."

"Bare," Joe spoke up. "He's telling the truth."

Barry looked back and forth between the two men as he got to his feet. "You knew?" he asked. He was starting to breathe raggedly, pointing a shaky finger in Joe's direction. "You knew this whole time and you didn't tell me?"

"Barry, just calm down and we can—" Joe reached for Barry, but pulled his hands back as Barry moved sharply, his hands coming up to grab fistfuls of his hair.

"_Don't_," Barry's jaw clenched, a muscle twitching in the side, "tell me to calm down. Ok? Just don't." His eyes narrowed as his face crumpled. "Averey?! I met her ages ago and you didn't tell me then?" The muscles in his face relaxed. "Does Iris—?"

"No," Joe instantly replied, shaking his head back and forth. "I promised your dad I wouldn't say anything."

"Barry." Henry slowly got to his feet, facing his son. He shuffled awkwardly towards the two of them. Joe scrutinized his old friend. "Just listen to me." He took in shaky breaths, swallowing thickly. "I'm sorry, but you needed to know."

"Why now?" Barry asked. "Why? When I'm already taking crap from my boss, and I have two crime scenes I have to deal with and—dad?" Joe rushed forward as Henry let out a groan, collapsing to his knees. Henry's skin felt clammy under Joe's hands; his skin was warm. Noticeably so. "Dad!"

"Guards!" Joe shouted. "Can we get some help in here?"

The door was pulled open and two uniformed men—one older and more rotund, then the younger and muscular man—came rushing in, their boots clomping against the floor. Shouting, and talking over each other, they grabbed Henry's arms and lifted him to his feet. It was then Joe noticed the dark spot on the side of Henry's blue jumpsuit. One of the guards pulled open the front of Henry's jumpsuit and Joe instantly spotted the bloody spot on his stomach, sticking his white tank top to his torso. Lifting his shirt, one of the guards uttered a curse when they saw the greenish-yellow splotch stretching across his stomach and up onto his ribcage. On his left side, near his hip was a bloody cut, which looked like it was stitched up in a rush.

"We've got to get him to the infirmary," the older guard said, bearing Henry's weight on his body. "Now! This guy clearly crossed someone's path."

"Wait! Dad!"

"Go get a rollaway bed. He can't hold himself up. Go, now! I'll call in and make sure the way is clear."

"We'll take care of him," Joe said to the younger guard, brandishing his badge. Satisfied, the two guards left through the doorway they had entered in, calling into their radios as they went. Joe and Barry took over the job of holding Henry upwards. "Just hang in there, buddy."

"Hey," Henry said, his head dropping forward. He tried to keep push his heels into the floor, keeping himself in place. "I need you to listen to me, Slugger. Clay Parker; he's got a huge debt over his head. Ok? Parker may have gotten out, but he won't go far. Do you understand?"

Barry nodded his head, face glistening with tears and snot. He used his shoulder to wipe at his face. "Yes, I understand," he replied in a thick voice, his words smashed together. "But, dad, you're hurt."

"'M fine," Henry insisted with a tight smile.

"We'll let the doctor be the judge of that," Joe replied as one of the guards returned, pushing a rolling bed, the size of a hotel cot. Joe and Barry carefully lifted Henry onto the thin mattress. "Try not to move so much." Henry managed a weak chuckle before his face contorted with pain. "Can we go with you to the infirmary? This is his son and his daughter is waiting to see him."

Joe felt Barry stiffen beside him, but he ignored the young CSI. The two guards exchanged glances before agreeing to allow the two men to come with them. Joe followed closely behind the hospital bed as it was pulled through the cell block they had vacated moments before. He watched as Averey looked up from the letters in her hands to the commotion down the hall. Her eyes widened; confusion and worry appeared on her face as she took in the scene in front of her. As she took in the sight of her dad, she gasped and rushed forward to be stopped by the muscular arm of the younger guard.

"Stay back, miss."

"He's my dad," Averey protested, trying to push herself past him. "What happened? Dad?"

"We can go to the infirmary with him," Joe said to the girl, backing up against the wall to give them more space. "It's ok." He looked over at Barry who was stone-faced, keeping his gaze on his dad. "He told Barry. About you." Averey shifted her wide-eyed gaze over to Barry.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Barry asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I wasn't allowed to," Averey replied. "Dad asked me not to."

Joe spotted the slight twitch of annoyance, or disbelief, or _something_ on Barry's face before he briefly closed his eyes. "So, what, was all this just a lie?" he asked, his voice gruff as he finally looked over at Averey. "You getting a job at Jitters with Iris? Have you always known and you just wanted to, what, move into our lives?"

"Barry," Joe said in a warning tone.

"No," Averey replied. "I didn't know about any of this until I found him."

"But, you've known for a while," Barry insisted. "You knew and you never told me."

"Right, because that would've been something you would have handled if I just came out and bloody said it," Averey said with a roll of her eyes. "You think I _wanted_ to keep that a secret? I reckon I've tried telling you so many times. What would you want me to say to you, Barry?"

"The truth!" Barry replied. "I was honest with you this whole time. I told you how I felt about my mom and dad and what I was going through and you couldn't ever tell me this." He turned back towards Joe, hurt all over his face. "Or you. I can't believe you never told me." Before anyone could say anything else, he went off to find his dad.

"I meant what I said, Barry," she called after him. "I have your back. No matter what." Barry didn't answer, but disappeared around the corner. Averey cleared her throat, weakly brandishing the letters in her hand towards Joe. "So, anyway, these are all from a guy named Walker, to someone at Belle Reve," she explained, eyes downcast. "He's been in here for a while. Maybe you can figure something out about it."

"Thanks," Joe said, taking the letters from her. "I appreciate it."

"Sure." She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "That was why you asked me to help you today, right? To see him. You knew you were going to be here today."

"Right," Joe agreed.

"Thanks." Averey gave a nod of her head, trying her best to smile. "Thanks a lot."

Joe wasn't exactly sure how she meant for those words to come out, but if today had really proven anything it was that parenting was hard.

* * *

Barry stilled as he heard the West's front door open and slam shut.

"Barry?"

He perked up at Iris's voice, and then found himself not wanting to see her. They hadn't really talked since he told her how much he cared about her and loved her. He was partially avoiding her as she had never really said anything to him, and he just didn't know what else to say to her—except for in that moment when he called out to her, "I'm up here."

He heard footsteps on the stairs and then found himself lifting his hand in a small wave as Iris leaned in the doorway of his old room. "Taking a trip down memory lane?" she asked, indicating the boxes of pictures and childhood trinkets surrounding him.

"Something like that," Barry replied. "You were in a rush to move out but you come crawling back, huh?"

"Ha. Ha."

Barry blinked as he really stopped and looked at her. She held a coat in her arms but was otherwise dressed up in a nice pair of shoes, and a black dress that hugged every curve. Her hair even had some curl to it. "You look really nice."

"Oh," Iris looked down at her outfit before smiling up at him, "thanks. Eddie and I are meeting his parents for an early dinner." She shrugged her shoulders. "Kind of in celebration."

"Uh-celebration of what?" Barry asked. Had it really been that long since he had a real conversation with her? Her life was moving forward and he didn't know a thing about it. While he knew it was his fault that it was occurring, a part of him was surprised to actually see it happening.

Iris stepped further into the room, biting down just slightly on her lower lip. "I, uh, got offered a position at Central City Picture News," she explained. Bowing her head just slightly, her lips parted into an excited smile. "Can you believe it? Your best friend is going to be a real reporter, Barry."

"I—wow, that's amazing, Iris," Barry said. He couldn't help but feel himself smile; partially in amusement and partially with pride. "And you said that journalism class was going to be boring."

"Oh, it still is," Iris said with a smirk. "Buuut, you were right in my signing up for the class." She crossed the room to his desk and pulled out the chair, crossing one leg over the other as she sat down. Silence filled the room.

"Are we…still best friends?" Barry asked. Iris blinked, taken aback.

"Of course, Barry," she replied. "I—I mean…things have been a bit weird between us, sure, but…"

Barry pressed his lips together before sucking in a breath of air. "I didn't mean to catch you off guard," he said, apologetically. "I just wanted you to know how I felt. Maybe—maybe it wasn't the best time, but I wanted you to know how amazing I think you are. How amazing I've always thought you were."

"Barry, that's really sweet," Iris said with a half smile.

"I wasn't trying to take you from Eddie or make you feel guilty or anything," Barry quickly explained. "It's just that, I never really noticed how much things had changed while I was in a coma. Nine months really is a long time, but to me, it felt like I had just been asleep for a little while." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I felt like I was getting things back to normal. I have to move forward like everybody else. I wasn't saying it to hold you back, but to let you go and live the life that makes you happy."

It wasn't exactly a lie; he did feel those things. When he first woke up from his coma, the first person he wanted to see was Iris, to let her know that he was ok. Before he found out about his powers, he just wanted everything to go back to normal. The more things changed, the more he tried to desperately hold on to what he previously had.

Seeing how much Iris had moved forward in what he felt was overnight, startled him. However, he could clearly see that Iris and Eddie had a special bond despite feeling like the last bit of his family was falling apart. He wanted what was best for her—he always did—and if that meant she was going to take a big step forward in her relationship, then he was going to be there for her. He loved her and he loved seeing her happy and Eddie clearly made her happy.

"I'm glad you found someone like 'Detective Pretty Boy' to make you happy," Barry said, using air quotes in reference to the West family's nickname for Eddie. Iris laughed, shaking her head (as she said, "I did call him that, didn't I?"). Barry dropped his hands into his lap. "That's all I want is for you to be happy. Like your dad said, you moving out was bound to happen. I just always like knowing you'd be here."

"I'm still here," Iris said, throwing her arms out in a "ta da" like fashion. She used her feet to spin the chair around in a circle. "And I always will be, Barry. You know that. We've been through a lot together, and we've always had each other's backs. That's not going to change just because I moved out."

"Good." Barry sucked in a deep breath of air, before letting it out in a rush. "Because I really need you to talk to right now." He lifted his thumbnail to his mouth and bit down on it. "I don't want you to be late for your dinner, though."

"Eddie already called his parents and said we'd be late," Iris explained, waving her hand in the air. "He doesn't mind."

Barry's eyebrows shot up. "You left him waiting outside?" he asked with a startled laugh.

"It was his suggestion to come here," Iris defended herself, laughing too. "He said that there was something bothering you and that I should see how you were doing. He was worried."

Now Barry was surprised. He and Eddie got along well for the most part, but there was always some slight tension between the two of them regarding Iris. Neither of them ever brought it up, but Barry could feel it. So to hear that Eddie was worried about him (and not in regards to work) caught him off guard just slightly but it did make him respect the detective a bit more.

"How'd you know I was here?" Barry asked. Iris gave him a "duh" look.

"Come on, Barry, there's only two places you go when you have a problem," she explained. "You go running off to Iron Heights, or you run back home." She shrugged her shoulders. "You were at Iron Heights earlier today. So, is this about your dad?"

"What do you remember about the day that Bandit died?" Barry asked.

"We were…what, three, four?" Iris asked, shifting her gaze towards the ceiling as she thought. Barry nodded. "I don't remember much." She was silent for a moment, tapping her chin with her fingers. "I remember that as the first time I had really seen you cry. I remember that was the day I saw how hurt you were and I decided I was never going to be the reason why I saw that face again. Why'd you ask?"

Barry twisted his mouth to the side for a moment. He suddenly wanted to take the conversation back, but if there was anyone he was the most comfortable talking to about anything, it was her. "Averey's my half-sister," he said. He watched as a look of confusion crossed Iris's face, before it went blank, and then she blinked and leaned forward in her seat, stunned.

"Wait. What?"

Barry quickly explained to her everything that had happened at Iron Heights. The whole time, Iris stared at him, her jaw dropped just slightly. "Wow," was all she said as soon as he was done talking. She opened and closed her mouth as if she was thinking over what she was going to say. "Sometimes, when you two are standing next to each other…I can kind of see a resemblance. You both have smile lines like your dad, I guess. I just…wow."

"Cisco had said we laugh the same way," Barry said, shaking his head. He put his face in his hands for a moment before he slid his hands over his face and to the back of his head. "I just can't believe my dad would do that."

"Your dad's human, too, Bare," Iris reminded him. "Parents aren't perfect. I mean, they had lives before we were ever around. I'm sure there's plenty of things that they don't want us to know."

"I guess."

Iris let out a breath of air, shaking her head back and forth. "So what's all this for?" she asked, indicating the box of pictures.

"You know how my mom was, taking pictures of everything," Barry replied, putting his attention back on the stacks of pictures in front of him. "She had to have some from that day."

Iris set her coat down onto the top of Barry's desk before sitting down on the floor next to him, curling her legs underneath her. She picked up a stack and the two of them silently looked at picture after picture as they shifted through the large collection that had been brought to the West house along with Barry all those years ago. He found himself smiling at the memories in his hands, pausing every once in a while

"I think…this is it," Iris said quietly.

Barry held his hand out for the picture and she hesitated. "Come on, Iris." He wiggled his fingers and Iris handed over the picture. He recognized the Central City Bridge, his mom's flaming red hair, and his dad's ball cap instantly. His blonde hair looked like it was glowing in the sunlight. But the man his dad had his arm around, and the other woman, and the little girl seemed to just suddenly appear to him. He had never seen them before—or maybe he didn't _want _to see them. But, even this younger version of her, he could recognize Averey Moore.

"That's it," Barry said quietly. There in color, he had picture proof.

"How're you feeling?" Iris asked.

"I don't know," Barry admitted. "A lot."

"That's ok," Iris said, reaching out a hand and rubbing his shoulder. "It's a lot to take in."

Barry gave a short nod of his head. It was another thing to add on to his plate. "Thanks for listening," he said to Iris as he got to his feet. "I don't want to keep you and Eddie waiting any longer." He held out his hands and helped Iris stand before taking her coat, handing it to her.

"Of course, Barry," Iris replied. "Anytime." She then hit herself on the forehead with her palm. "Oh, I forgot. Eddie wanted me to tell you that the, uh, sample you collected at Iron Heights was done being tested on."

Barry gave her a confused look for a moment and then remembered; the break out. There had been some organic matter left behind at the crime scene. "Oh, thanks," Barry said, following her out of his room. "I should go over and check that…out." His speech slowed as he noticed the front door sitting wide open. He put his arm out in front of Iris, stopping her from moving, and slowly took the stairs down to the living room.

He felt the muscles in his body tense as he crept further down the stairs. Heart hammering in his chest, he mentally prepared himself for what he would find at the bottom of the stairs. He couldn't hear anything; no crashes, not the sound of thunder, no screams for help. It was absolutely silent. That unnerved him more than what he had heard almost 14 years ago.

Barry stilled, hearing footsteps, bunching the muscles in his calf as he readied himself to launch at whoever it was that was in the house. Eddie rounded the corner and let out a scream (which caused Iris to scream, and Barry reacted involuntarily with a scream of his own) when he spotted the two childhood friends on the stairs.

"Don't do that," Iris said. Barry slowly relaxed his muscles as he put a hand over his chest, sinking into a seated position on the stairs.

"Sorry," Eddie apologized in a rushed tone. "I just _really _had to use the bathroom. I thought I closed the door."

"Guess the wind blew it open," Iris said with a shaky laugh.

Forcing out a laugh, Barry clasped his shaky hands together and put them between his knees, squeezing them with the insides of his kneecaps. As he tried to relax himself, his thoughts whirled around his head much like his living room that night, with bursts of yellow and red.

* * *

**A/N: **Now he knows! I didn't think this was going to be a "West Family centric" chapter, but I'm glad it was done this way. I haven't shown Barry and Iris together a lot, but I knew I wanted to have some kind of heart to heart to get them back on track.

_Ethan: _Heh, it shouldn't be much longer for us all to get the point where we can start working on _Flashpoint. _Thanks for reading.

_Babyj: _With Averey, she's essentially afraid of the unknown. When planning out her character, I wanted it to show that she was confident in herself until it got to the point where she didn't know what was going to happen. Overtime, you'd see her courage and confidence grow (which I hope is being seen). In regards to why the RFG has been so keen in having her be part of the gang, I can see why it'd still be questioned. That gets to be clearer now that Mercury Labs' plot is being brought more into the forefront. I'll admit I have been lacking writing that aspect more and showing why Averey was brought in to begin with.

_Kellie: _Mercury Labs comes into play more and more from here on out. As well as Belle Reve; I remember you saying you were excited to see that in this story. Thanks for reading.


	25. What We're Doing Here

**-Chapter Twenty-Five-**

**"What We're Doing Here isn't Crap"**

* * *

Caitlin let out a frustrated sigh the next day as her fist barely pushed the punching bag that rocked back and forth just slightly in front of her. "This just isn't working," she said, placing her hands on her hips before moving to remove the tape wrapped around her hands.

"I can see from over here—"

"You aren't even looking," Caitlin complained, putting a hand to her chest as she waited to catch her breath. Turning towards Averey, who was sitting in the corner of the training room with her laptop, she frowned.

"Ok, smart ass. It's a figure of speech," Averey replied, finally looking up from her computer, giving Caitlin a smirk. "And I can see from over here you're not even trying that hard."

Caitlin tucked her hair behind her ears before planting her hands on her hips. Averey had kept her word and started Caitlin in on training and teaching her how to defend herself. STAR Labs was one of the safest places she had ever been in her life, but things were different outside the walls of her home away from home.

Not only did she have to worry about the usual acts of crime that could be found in Central City, but there were people out there that could do extraordinary things. The scariest part of it all was that there was no guarantee that those people wouldn't act out in fear of suddenly waking up with the world around them changed.

She was one of three people that were doing everything they could to understand these changes and how to help people. All they had ever wanted to do with their scientific discoveries and projects was help not only the inhabitants of Central City, but the whole world. Then that had all changed. Central City was different now; if she had to learn to keep herself safe to keep continuing her work, then so be it. But there was a reason why she wasn't ever picked first for dodge ball when she was in school.

"You ok?" Caitlin asked, spotting the frown on the ocular metahuman's face as she put her attention back on her computer. "You've been off since you got back." Averey's eyebrows lifted, but she didn't say anything for a moment. "I may not have your abilities, but I can tell something is bothering you. We like to share things around here."

Averey chuckled before saying, "Like you were quick to tell everyone, and Dr. Wells, about you finding Ronnie, yeah?" she asked.

Caitlin felt herself wince just slightly. Averey had a point, but that didn't stop the comment from hurting. She knew she hadn't always been the most open person ever since Ronnie's death, but she had thought she was getting better with it. How were any of them supposed to make any advances with helping the Metahumans if theories and worries weren't explained with the group? And she _did _eventually explain to everyone what was going on.

"I'm just e-mailing my mum, she said that she was proud of me," Averey replied. She placed her hand on the lid of her computer and shut it. After setting aside her computer, she got to her feet and started stretching her arms across from her.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Caitlin commented.

"Don't really feel like I deserve it considering after that, she explained that she was proud and felt like she did a good job raising me because I had never gotten pregnant, did drugs, or gone to jail," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Caitlin tried hard not to make a face but she couldn't stop her facial muscles from contorting into a grimace. "Yeah, I know."

"You never told your mom?" Caitlin asked.

"Even when I'm 45, I'll still be afraid of my mum and making her mad," Averey commented, stepping over to the punching bag Caitlin had abandoned. Her face cleared of the look of amusement on her face before she moved into a fighting stance and started to kick and punch the punching bag. With each hit that landed on the apparatus, a loud _smack_ filled the air before it jostled left and right. "Times like these," Averey explained between breaths of air and hits on the back, "I wish I didn't bloody cut contact with her. I didn't want her to know, that I was in trouble. Which, I know, was really _stupid_!" She emphasized the word with a sharp smack. "And I'm mad at myself for it, and for trusting the wrong _people_."

Caitlin held out her hands, stopping the punching bag from swinging into her from Averey's final punch. Breathing heavily, she adjusted the strap to her sports bra before wiping at the sheen that coated her forehead. "Which begs the question: is there anyone or anything you're mad at?" Averey asked. "Let it out here."

Standing in the middle of STAR Labs, not that far away from the damaged particle accelerator, one name slammed into the front of her head. Ronnie. She wasn't exactly angry at him; he acted very bravely and she knew that no one would be here if it wasn't for him, but the selfish side of her was angry that he didn't return that night. She was angry that he decided it was his job to go into the particle accelerator without thinking about her and leaving her all alone.

Caitlin felt her fingers curl (making sure not to tuck her thumb underneath) before she struck out her hand, and connected with the plastic material in a sharp punch. With each hit she landed on the bag, she thought of all the instances that made her angry. Ronnie. _Smack. _Central City's stubbornness to accept STAR Labs's help (although, she understood why). _Smack. _The failure of STAR Labs. _Smack. _Her dad's death. _Smack. Smack. Smack. Smacksmacksmack._

"Now we're getting somewhere." Caitlin let out a weak laugh as she placed her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. She felt Averey put a hand on her shoulder and push before she was standing. "You're a bio person; you should know you get more air into your lungs when you stand straight."

Gritting her teeth, Caitlin gave a brief nod of her head. As if she didn't know that. Being a woman in her field, she got patronizing comments left and right until she showed just how knowledgeable she was in the area. It didn't stop her from being annoyed every time she experienced it, even with the teasing smile on the Australian's face.

"You know I went to Hudson University," Caitlin explained, reaching up to pull the elastic band that secured her hair in a ponytail out. Grimacing at the slight prickles of pain as she used her fingers to spread out her hair, "I was handpicked for the program I was in. Professor Olsen, and the head of the department, Professor Bishop, had said they saw a lot of potential from me from my interview."

Caitlin crossed the training room to grab her water bottle and took a long drink from it. Averey clapped her hands together once and held them out towards Caitlin. Caitlin tossed the water bottle to her (after making sure the top was secure) and swallowed her mouthful of water. "Everyone in the program was excellent in their fields; we were constantly told that."

"The professors didn't want anyone's egos to get in the way of possible scientific discoveries, so they pushed us as hard as they could to not only see if we had limits, but to reach those limits. Many had mental break downs just trying to keep up their GPAs up and to meet deadlines for research papers and theses. I worked hard to graduate from the program, and because of that accomplishment, Dr. Wells came to _me _and offered me a spot to work with him."

"Even now, he's one of the few people who still support my studies and what I choose to do with them. I decided to become a bio-engineer after seeing how MS was affecting my dad. I knew that science could be the one thing that I could do to stop people from going through what I went through. He wasn't able to see what I was able to accomplish, but I was doing it all for him. We both shared this attribute where we like to do everything we can to help people."

"I knew that working at STAR Labs was one of the better choices I could have made in my life, apart from deciding to study science. I knew this because what we do here was all about helping people. I put up with disparaging comments and taking on big workloads when I lead projects because others didn't think I was fit for the position. I think I've proven that I know what I'm doing by this point."

Averey stared at her for a moment, blinking. "When you were taken by Snart and Rory," she commented, pointing the water bottle in Caitlin's direction, "Dr. Wells was really worried."

"Cisco and I have been working with him for a long time," Caitlin replied, an annoyed edge to her tone. Hadn't Averey had been listening at all? Caitlin started unwrapping her hands, sliding her finger tips over her wrist, where rope burns had previously nearly been etched into her skin. Faint markings stood in their place now. "We both know he's a private person, but—"

"No, I mean, like…scary worried," Averey explained. "He looked like he'd rip someone's head off for you. Sounded that way, too."

Caitlin felt herself still for a moment. Dr. Wells was a hard person to fully understand. Even when STAR Labs was thriving, Dr. Wells set his focus on the projects and research they were working on. In all that time, the only person Caitlin ever saw Dr. Wells show some sort of emotion and caring towards was Hartley Rathaway. Then again, he _had _promised that he'd help return Ronnie to his original state. That was the most sincere and open, maybe even the most human, she had ever really seen him. And back at his house; Joe was a detective, maybe he was seeing something she wasn't…

Caitlin shook her head._ Stop it, Cait. He's your boss and nothing more. _"Science is about nurturing guidance, and sacrifice," she insisted and Averey let out a short laugh.

"I don't think Wells fully understands the nurturing part," she commented, dryly. "I call 'em like I seem 'em."

"Maybe you're seeing things wrong."

"Maybe." Crossing her arms over her chest, Averey bowed her head for a moment before looking up at Caitlin, rocking back and forth just slightly on her heels. "But, you're right. You are sacrificing a lot to help. All three of you. You're doing more for me than I could've ever asked for and you're not asking for anything in return. I won't ever forget it."

"Of course _you _won't forget," Caitlin said with a roll of her eyes. She paused, a thought occurring to her. "You've been keeping track of everything you can remember, right?" Averey nodded her head. "Have there been any gaps in your memory lately?"

Averey shook her head. "Why?"

"Bivolo," Caitlin replied. "I'll admit, I've been slacking on finding out how to reverse the effects of being whammied, what with everything that's been going on lately, but the only other time I remember people having gaps in their memories was after they were being whammied."

"But, Barry's remembered everything he's said and done while being whammied," Averey replied.

"Barry has many things to be angry about," Caitlin said, crossing her arms over her chest, "but nothing has pushed him to the point of rage like the people in that bank." _Not yet, anyway. _Caitlin had seen Barry ticked off, but didn't know if she wanted to see what he was like when he flew off the handles. "Plus, his abilities aren't linked to his vision, but his feet. Both you and Bivolo's does."

"If your banks here are every bit as slow as they are back home, I don't really blame them." Averey gave her a confused look. "But, why do you think it's Bivolo?"

"Because we didn't start tracking metahumans until Barry was brought in to be monitored," Caitlin admitted. "We did notice some strange occurrences here and there, but didn't know that it was something like this. We didn't know it was people with powers. There could be side-effects that we don't know about. I mean, if Barry runs too fast, he could set himself on fire with the friction." _Or someone else. _

She hadn't forgotten the embarrassment and amusement she felt when she and Cisco had walked in on a, uh, _moment _with Barry and Felicity. They made sure to keep a fire extinguisher on hand in the chance Barry's clothes had caught on fire again during their tests. They also kept STAR Labs wearable merchandise available because of this as well.

"It's at least worth checking out," Caitlin insisted.

"You're the scientist," Averey replied with a shrug.

_That's right, I am_. Before Caitlin could say anything else, Cisco's voice came over the speakers telling the two women to come to the Cortex immediately. Caitlin made a note to bring up this topic of conversation with Cisco and Dr. Wells later as the girls gathered their belongings before hurrying into the Cortex. Barry met them there and handed over the matter he had found at Iron Heights. After analyzing the DNA from it, they found that the metahuman they were looking for was Shawna Baez.

"I have never seen anything like this," Caitlin said, shaking her head as she watched the cells on the computer screen in front of her, rapidly vibrate. "I mean, not since Barry came around." She pressed a couple of buttons on the keyboard in front of her and the cells changed to a picture of an African-American woman with curly hair twisted up onto the top of her head. "Somehow, this Shawna Baez can jump from place to place along with anyone that she is in contact with."

"But then why would she break out members of the Royal Flush Gang?" Cisco asked. "That makes no sense."

"She has some connection with Clay Parker according to my dad," Barry explained, turning away from the monitors mounted on the walls. "Some of the inmates say he was one of the last people to leave Iron Heights given the time frame of the break out. The ones that would talk, anyway."

"How is your dad?" Caitlin asked him. Barry seemed to be thrown off by the question for a moment before he gave her a small smile and said, "Fine, thanks." Averey snorted but otherwise didn't say anything. Caitlin lowered her eyebrows and scrutinized him.

The second Barry had come to STAR Labs to deliver his findings for the organic matter that was left behind in STAR Labs, she could tell that something was different with him. Even more, he and Averey had barely acknowledged each other since he had arrived and there was just some sort of tension in the Cortex she hadn't felt since Barry had awoken from his coma.

"Dad mentioned that Clay Parker has some sort of debt hanging over his head so we shouldn't expect him to move far," Barry continued his explanation. "Maybe that debt has something to do with that Gang."

"I'll keep an eye out on the banks in Central City for any signs of unusual activity," Cisco suggested, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "In the meantime, I'll try and see what in Clay Parker's past can help us out."

"Or we could draw her out," Averey suggested. She was sitting on the edge of the curved computer table, playing with the frayed ends of her shoelace. "If they're looking for money, let's put some out there for her."

"If she still has ties to his gang, or whoever is holding the debt over Clay Parker's head, they probably already have a means of getting the money they need," Caitlin replied with a slight shake of her head. "Banks, stores, armored trucks."

"Fits the M.O. of the Royal Flush Gang," Dr. Wells commented. "We should be prepared either way."

His last words were drowned out as a series of beeps filled the room. A red push-pin looking icon popped up on the Caitlin's computer screen with the words "Rathaway Industries" floating above it.

"I only know one person who would target Rathaway Industries," Dr. Wells commented, speaking up. Caitlin looked over at the older man and saw his face was void of any emotion. "Seems like Hartley Rathaway wants to make a statement."

"Oh, no, that is _so _unlike him," Cisco said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as Barry rushed into his suit. A second set of sirens stared blaring. "We've got a robbery in progress on the outskirts of town. I'll see if I can access any security footage from that area."

After a few quick keystrokes, the picture on the monitors changed and a live feed of Shawna Baez carrying two bags in her hands appeared on screen. She "jumped" back and forth from the stopped Black Hawk Security Group truck to a spot off screen. She moved at different angles, but each one made sure to keep her face concealed.

"It's like she's playing Peek-a-boo," Caitlin surmised as she watched the girl. Giving Cisco an amused smile she said, "Seems like you're rubbing off on me, Mr. Ramon."

"Calm down, Snow, that was only one name," Cisco replied, returning her smile. "Admittedly, a good one."

"One minute she's there, the next she's not," Dr. Wells commented, gazing up at the screen with wonder.

Caitlin spun around in her chair to face Barry. "You've got to move fast. She could just disappear at any moment. And if Hartley is going after people he's not too fond with—"

"Anyone could be next," Barry agreed.

"You go take care of Hartley," Averey said, crossing the Cortex to where her suit was housed. She grabbed her veyesor and hung it around her neck. "If he could do what he did to Dr. Wells's house, he could do more damage out on the streets. Who knows how many people are still in the building. Peekaboo's mine."

Caitlin heard Barry mutter something and Averey let out a huff of annoyance. "You know what, Barry?" she asked, jumping off of the table, "I don't care! I don't care that you're mad; I did the right thing. Now I'm going to do it again by stepping up and doing this on my own." A muscle twitched in her tightly clenched jaw as she and Barry glared at each other. "Plus, I'm not too keen of Hartley shooting glass into my eyeballs."

"Fine! Go ahead," Barry replied. "We'll just do things here like we used to." Barry had ended his sentence there, but Caitlin was sure that if he had continued, he would've added "Without you" at the end.

"Fine," Averey replied. She roughly started to take her suit off the mannequin, ignoring Cisco's request to "be careful with the suit." Caitlin looked over at Dr. Wells, silently asking him for help and found him watching the two metahumans with a smile. Almost like he was actually enjoying watching the two of them fight. "And I'll take my sweet ass time doing it what with my short legs and all." Shaking her head back and forth, she grabbed her boots and muttered, "I need to find a faster way to do this crap."

"Barry, you can't be in two places at one time," Dr. Wells finally spoke up, removing his glasses. "Averey is here to help. We wouldn't want to rob her of this opportunity now would we?" His lips parted into an odd smile. "I think this is the better opportunity for us all."

"All right then. Caitlin, I need you in my ear," Averey said as she gathered her suit into her arms.

"Well, _that's _a funny way to say my name," Cisco joked with a half smile. He turned around in his seat and faced the metahumans. "Be careful, ok." He lifted both his fingers and pointed at them with a V shape. "That goes for the both of you."

"Yeah, no sweat," Barry reassured him. "I'll run you down there, Averey, but hurry."

"All right, all right." Averey hurried out of the Cortex, looking for an empty room to change into her suit.

"Dr. Snow, you don't look very confident in your abilities to lead Ms. Moore," Dr. Wells addressed, breaking the silence in the room.

"No, I'm fine," Caitlin said, pushing a smile to her face as she regarded her boss—and ignored the feeling like she was falling that settled in the pit of her stomach. "But, I did want to discuss with you, the possibility of Bivolo being the reason for Averey's memory gaps. Apart from the particle accelerator, I mean."

Dr. Well's eyebrows lifted into a curious gaze before he set his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose in one smooth motion. "That's an interesting idea, Dr. Snow, and one we should keep up on," he said as he folded his hand in his lap. "I've been meaning to take a visit down to speak with the metahumans, anyway. In the meantime, I'm going to take another look at this organic matter Shawna was so kind to leave behind."

"Thank you, Dr. Wells." Caitlin said, getting to her feet. "I'll make sure Averey's ready." That was part of the reason why she was looking for the ocular metahuman. She nearly collided with Averey as she rounded the corner. Bent over, hopping on one foot, she was trying to slide her foot into her boot, the other hanging from her mouth. Taking the boot out of the Australian's mouth Caitlin blurted out, "First off, what we're doing here isn't crap."

"I know that." A confused look briefly crossed Averey's face. Straightening until she was standing at her full height, Averey looked up at Caitlin with her green eyes. "I insulted you," she stated after a beat of silence.

"I—well, yes," Caitlin admitted. Clearly, there was something that the shorter woman could see in her face despite trying her best to keep her face neutral. It was startling at times to have someone be so blunt and straightforward about things.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't what I meant when I said that."

"It's not just that," Caitlin said with a shake of her head. "I also didn't appreciate being called 'smart ass', either." She watched as Averey's eyes widened just slightly.

"Oh, I wasn't being serious," she explained. She gathered her shoulder-length hair in her hands behind her head, twisting it up into a high ponytail. "It's just how I talk to my friends, like a joke. I don't mean it. We all do it."

"That's not how we do it here," Caitlin said. She spoke slowly, gauging Averey's reaction. She silently blinked, eyebrows angling towards each other just slightly. "I know you meant well, but it could really cause you to rub people the wrong way."

"Oh." Averey held her hand out for her boot and Caitlin passed it over to her. Caitlin stepped forward and helped the Australian keep her balance as she put on her other boot.

"I don't mean to hurt your feelings or anything," Caitlin quickly explained. "You just…"

"Hurt yours?" Caitlin nodded. "Ah, no worries," Averey said, her nose wrinkling as she stomped her foot on the ground, forcing her foot into her boot. "I shouldn't have said that, especially after you told me about why you chose to study science. I stuffed up."

Caitlin let out a breath of air. She felt proud of herself for saying something. She took her job at STAR Labs very seriously. Ignoring all the mean comments and put downs were something she worked hard on over the years, but there is always that one time where she'll let it affect her.

She was mad at Averey for what she had said after Caitlin had opened up to her and wanted to set her straight if they were going to be working together both in STAR Labs and outside of it. It would make things easier if they could reach some common ground and try to be friends.

"Come on, we better hurry," Caitlin said, nodding her head in the direction of the Cortex.

"Hey." Averey grabbed her arm. "We can do this. _You _can do this; I can see the uncertainty on your face." She stopped Caitlin from walking and placed her hands on the taller woman's shoulders, shaking her just slightly. "You want to make your dad proud, yeah?"

"Yeah," Caitlin agreed and Averey gave a short small before lifting her fist.

"So do I."

Caitlin felt her shoulders drop as the muscles in her body relaxed. She curled her slender fingers into a fist and bumped Averey's.

Taking her seat in the Cortex, Caitlin shook her hair out of her face, mentally preparing herself as Barry ran Averey out to the location of Peekaboo. She could hear Cisco directing Barry on his side of the room and did her best to block him out and focus on whatever help she could give Averey. Accessing the live feed from Averey's veyesor, she could see everything that the ocular metahuman was seeing.

"Ugh," Caitlin wrapped one arm around her stomach as she watched the shaky camera as Averey fought against Shawna. "It's like those movies you made me watch, Cisco. I'm never watching those again."

"_The Blair Witch Project _Is an acquired taste," Cisco protested, his eyes glued to the computer screen in front of him. "And it helps if you've got wits of steel."

After a quick roll of her eyes, Caitlin put her focus back onto the task at hand. Using the link between STAR Labs and Averey's head set, she was able to talk her through her confrontation with Peekaboo. "She can't do much if Shawna keeps jumping around her," Caitlin said, watching as, from Averey's point of view, the scene in front of her, shifted back and forth as the Australian girl tried to keep the jumping metahuman in her line of vision.

"She can't get away with Clay Parker and the bags all at one time," Dr. Wells explained, hunched over another monitor. "Her abilities encompass her physical form, she'll get tired eventually."

"Then, she can just drive away," Caitlin replied spotting not only the armored truck but a silver sports car. _That's it. _Slapping the palm of her hand down onto the button nearest her, she leaned closer to the microphone set up on the desk. "Averey, use your boomerang to pop the tires on the cars. That'll buy you some time."

"_Cheers, Cait. I'm on it._"

Caitlin heard Averey's sharp exhale of air, a series of pops, and the loud hiss of air escaping the tires. Then the fight between the two women was brought up close and personal. Caitlin could only watch as Averey fought against Shawna as best as she could. Height was an advantage for the shorter woman, but Shawna could teleport faster than Averey could move. In cases of endurance, Averey would probably be tired out faster than Shawna.

_Damn it. _Caitlin punched her thigh with her fist. Running her hands over her face, she let out a deep breath of air. _Think, Caitlin, think. You've been through tougher situations before and you managed to work through it. Think! _

"Well, would you look at that," Dr. Wells commented. Caitlin lifted her face from her hands, regarding the older scientist. "I seem to have found Shawna's weakness." He turned around in his seat and gave Caitlin a smile. "Light seems to be a big indicator of where Shawna can teleport."

"But, it was night time when she broke into Iron Heights," Caitlin said, confused. "I don't understand."

"Ah, but there are only a few instances in which you can achieve total darkness," Dr. Wells replied with a twinkle in his eye. "Even now, there is one way to achieve that; you have to take away Shawna's field of vision."

"And Averey had said she had momentarily made Mick Rory go blind," Caitlin said, catching on to his thought process. When she and Cisco were kidnapped by Snart and Mick, she _had _noticed that Snart was doing all the grunt work while Rory stumbled around. At least, until he had gotten his eyesight back. "That's perfect! Ave; I need you to make Peekboo go blind. I know you can do this."

Suddenly, Hartley's taunting voice filled the room. Caitlin stilled, feeling every muscle in her body tensing. Turning in her seat, she spotted Cisco's shifted demeanor. Hartley had never gotten along with Caitlin, but he always seemed to go out of his way to extend his rivalry with Cisco for reasons she could never understand. If it wasn't how Cisco was dressed, it was how he wore his hair, or how he didn't seem to be taking things seriously, and on, and on, and on.

Not only was Dr. Wells there to back Cisco up, but so was she and Ronnie. Ronnie and Cisco had bonded like brothers pretty quickly; Ronnie showed Cisco around STAR Labs, and would always check in with him to see how he was keeping up with the fast-paced workload, and gave advice on how to gain respect from the other older workers while leading his own project. And Hartley always seemed to know how to knock Cisco down a peg or four just by opening his mouth. She hated seeing how defeated Cisco was after a run in with "The Chosen One."

It clearly still had an effect on her, as she was spending so much time listening to Hartley and whatever secret Dr. Wells had that he was alluding to, he didn't realize Averey was in trouble, or that she couldn't even hear her anymore. Not until she heard what sounded like a gunshot that jumpstarted her. Scrambling to turn back to face her abandoned monitor, she quickly found herself with a view of the sky. A view that wasn't moving.

"Ave?" Silence. "Averey?" Caitlin shifted a worried look over towards Dr. Wells and Cisco at the silence. "Averey, are you ok?" Still nothing.

"You heard a gunshot, too, right?" Cisco asked quietly.

"_What gunshot_?" Barry's voice came through to the Cortex. "_Cisco, what's going on?_"

"Barry, just get Hartley in as quick as you can and then go check on Averey," Cisco replied.

Caitlin's breath caught in her throat as a moment later, a familiar face appeared on her screen. With long, dirty hair, a haggard Ronnie Raymond stared back at her with glowing white eyes.

* * *

Barry couldn't believe what he was seeing; F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M or Ronnie Raymond, or whatever name he was going by, not only was lying on a bed in the medical bay of STAR Labs, but he was also looking at his face on the TV screens hanging on the walls.

"Can we change the channel or something?" Cisco asked, making a face. "This is really starting to creep me out."

After getting the directions from Cisco to bring Hartley in as quickly as possible, he was met with a flaming man with a bullet hole in his shoulder, a passed out woman, and three grim faced scientists. Peekaboo had managed to get away, but from what he could understand through Cisco's rushed explanation, Ronnie had saved Averey after her eyewear had been knocked off. Unfortunately, it was one of the clearest, most sunny days Central City had experienced in a while. Barry deduced that the sun had to have knocked Averey out in a matter of moments.

"So, that's Ronnie," Barry said after he quickly changed out of his suit, nodding towards the shirtless man. His gaze was fixated on the wall, but his eyes didn't really seem to focus on anything. Arms in his lap, Ronnie hunched forward, almost as if his own upper body weight was too much to carry for himself. Maybe it was; he looked down right exhausted. "He's seen better days."

"Yeah," Cisco agreed, turning off the TVs in the Cortex. His mouth formed a thin line as he tapped the TV remote in his hand. "Only, he's insisting that he's not Ronnie Raymond."

"What?" Barry asked, giving his friend a confused look. "What do you mean?" Cisco shrugged.

"I can identify him, Caitlin can identify him, and Dr. Wells even checked his finger prints to the staff logs here," Cisco explained. He shrugged his shoulders. "But, he's still insisting that he's not who we know he is."

"You think the accident might've done something?" he asked. "Amnesia?"

"It's like what we said when Averey first arrived; true amnesia is very rare," Cisco said with a sigh. He brushed his hair behind his ear and chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "He brought her straight here, and asked for us to help him."

Now that was strange. If it was really amnesia, Ronnie wouldn't recognize who anyone was, or what STAR Labs even was. This was the second time that Ronnie had stepped in and tried to help anyone who was affiliated with STAR Labs. Whatever it was that made him not remember who he was, there was still a part of Ronnie that held ties to the scientific building. While that gave him some comfort, Ronnie wasn't really the one he was worried about. It was Caitlin.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he felt his leg shift forward to head in the scientist's direction, but forced himself to stop and ask Cisco, "Averey?"

"Apart from some bruising from Peekaboo, she's fine," Cisco replied. "She's awake; Dr. Wells is looking her over now." Barry made a humming sound as he nodded. "Soooo, what was that fight about between you guys?"

"Just a disagreement," Barry replied.

"Oooh, that girl is going to get it," Averey said, clutching a bag of ice to her head as she stormed into the Cortex. "She's going to need all the money she stole to _fix her face_." She furiously pushed her glasses up her nose as she dropped into an empty chair.

"How's that headache treating you?" Cisco asked with a short laugh.

"Like the worst hangover in my life and the flu mixed together," Averey replied, lowering the bag. "I'm not in any rush to go back to partying." She lifted a hand and started rubbing at the side of her face where Barry noticed a red mark and smudges of dirt. "She threw dirt in my face and sucker punched me with a stupid baton. I think it left a mark." Letting out a heavy sigh, she set her gaze on Barry. "I just wasn't fast enough for her."

Merely glancing over at her, Barry crossed the Cortex and took the short flight of stairs up into the medical bay, stopping just short of the door frame. "How is he?" he asked, keeping his eyes on Caitlin. "…And how are you?"

"Busy," Caitlin replied, briefly looking up at the speed metahuman."And he'll live." Her face was an emotionless mask; jaw tight as she pressed a wad of gauze to Ronnie's shoulder with blood covered latex gloves. "I keep getting shards of the bullet stuck further into his shoulder."

"It's not a bad wound?" Barry asked.

Caitlin let out an odd laugh. "They don't call him the 'Burning Man' for nothing, I suppose," she commented. "Do you know how to sew?"

"Not well," Barry replied. When he and Iris were kids, they had really gotten into the "Floor is Lava" game and was trying to make it all the way around the house. He had thought it was a good idea to use the curtains to cross the living room.

Years later, he wasn't sure if Joe had ever noticed the uneven hang of the curtains (although he was pretty sure Joe had, he was on the police force after all) as one section was pulled upwards as he and Iris did their best to A: not sew their fingers to the material, and B: close the hole. Joe had never brought it up all these years later and Barry wasn't going to talk about it until he did.

"I'll show you how to do a couple," Caitlin explained, "You can just do them faster than I can." Her lips pressed tightly together and there was an odd sucking sound before she let out a breath of air. "Gotcha." A clattering sound hit the air as she dropped a black mass into a plastic cup speckled with other dark fragments and a small amount of blood. "He must've been shot _before _he showcased his powers otherwise that kind of heat would've melted the bullet. I just need to make sure all the fragments are out otherwise it could get infected."

"Caitlin," Barry said to her, "how are you? Really?"

Barry watched as Caitlin blinked back tears as she gazed down at the long haired man. He turned his head slightly, as if wanting to look at her, but decided against it and set his gaze on his lap once again. "I don't know," she replied. "I mean, I always wanted Ronnie back but…this man is not my fiancé."

"How many times do I have to tell you young folk that my name is _not _Ronnie?" the man snapped through clenched teeth. "_Stop calling me that._" He moved to jump to his feet, but instead contorted in pain, letting out a loud groan as Caitlin pulled the pair of tweezers in her hand out from the bullet hole in his back. "Son of a…" He swallowed. "I apologize; I will not be vulgar in the presence of a young woman."

"Considering Caitlin is the one nursing you back to health, I wouldn't snap at her, either," Barry commented. He had learned that the hard way. He could heal himself quickly, but that didn't mean that he needed to have his joints shoved back into their sockets every now and then. After a fight against "So you say you're not Ronnie Raymond. Who are you?" He tilted his head to the side. "Or rather, who do you _think _you are?"

"Someone who can't get the help I need from this place," Ronnie replied.

"If that was the case, then why did you come here?" Barry asked. "Why did you bring Averey here to STAR Labs?"

Ronnie's head started rolling on his neck. His fingers twitched in his lap and he jerked and twitched on the table he was sitting on. "The other voice," he hissed. "It wanted to help her." He tilted his head towards Caitlin. "It needed _her_. It needed her to help. It knew he could come here. Come home." The muscles in his neck jutted out as he tightly grasped onto the sides of the table. "I need to go home. _I need Clarissa_."

Barry jerked his head over in Caitlin's direction and the two of them exchanged wide eyed looks. "Who's Clarissa?" they asked in unison.

"She didn't want to see me," Ronnie whispered, his lips twitching. "Sh-she was scared of me. I-I-I wasn't the man she had married. I need to change back." His eyes started to glow. "I _have _to change back!"

"Ok, just calm down," Caitlin said, putting her hand up defensively. Barry felt his muscles tense, readying himself to pull Caitlin to safety at the first sign of danger.

"We'll figure this out," Barry promised. "We can get Dr. Wells and we can all sit down and discus this."

"No one here, young man, was part of the project," Ronnie insisted, shifting his harsh gaze over towards Barry. "You are not capable of understanding this. None of you know. This is complicated science that was created way before either of you could even begin to wrap your minds around such theories."

"Jason Rousch knows," Caitlin said, interrupting him looking as stung as Barry felt. "He told me he helped you with the projects. He works at Mercury Labs now. He can help."

"Ah, Mercury Labs." Ronnie's lips parted into an odd smile. "They were quick to cast me aside. They're as much to blame as STAR Labs for my condition."

"Wait, I don't understand," Barry said, taking a couple of slow steps forward. "How does Mercury Labs factor into this?"

"They refused my work and look what happened," Ronnie replied. He rocked back and forth, letting out a wheezing laugh. "Fraud. Data Breach. They could've been on the map. But, no." His laughter got a little louder. "STAR Labs was the only one who was interested in my work."

"What work?" Barry asked.

"_My work_," Ronnie repeated. He looked Barry up and down in distaste, his upper lip curling just slightly. "My hard work that they just took away from me." He slapped his hands down on the sides of the table and his head and hands burst into flames. Caitlin let out a startled scream and Barry rushed forward and grasped Caitlin around the waist before pulling her out of the way, back to where Cisco and Averey were standing in the Cortex.

The temperature in the room skyrocketed. Sweat beaded on Barry's skin and flooded his arm pits. Caitlin put a hand over Averey's eyes, turning her head away. The four young adults groaned at the rise in temperature.

"I beg that you respect me and do not ask me to _calm down_," Ronnie hissed as he stepped menacingly towards the group.

"A dios mio," Cisco whispered, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. "Calm down, dude." He grabbed Averey's bag of ice and threw one of the few remaining whole pieces of ice at the flaming metahuman. It melted an evaporated into a small wisp of steam before even connecting with Ronnie's body. "Well. If we had the Cold Gun we could—"

"NO!" Barry and Averey shouted in unison.

"Ronnie, you're hurt," Caitlin said in a shaky voice. Barry placed his hand over hers as her fingernails painfully pressed into his arm. "Let us help you."

Ronnie silently twisted, reaching his right arm across his chest and pressed his hand to his shoulder blade. Barry groaned as the smell of burning flesh reached his nostrils. Ronnie sank to his knees, letting out a scream of pain, chest heaving. As he dropped to his hands and knees, Barry spotted a bright red lining around the bullet wound, now cauterized.

"There is no help here," Ronnie replied in a low tone. "I used to think there was." With a loud roaring sound followed by a rush of wind and heat, Ronnie levitated through the air before hurtling himself out of STAR Labs.

For a moment, Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, and Averey didn't make a sound apart from their shaky breaths. "W-we need to, um, tell Dr. Wells what happened," Barry said, licking his lips, finding them dry.

"Yes, yes, that's best," Caitlin agreed. Cisco hurried forward and started calling for the head scientist. With shaky hands, she pushed her hair back from her face.

"What a day, huh?" Barry asked, massaging his arm. Caitlin's eyes fell shut for a moment before she let out a quiet laugh.

"It's never a dull moment here," she said, her voice quivering. Her smile disappeared as she pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes. "Excuse me."

"Yeah, of course," Barry said with a nod of his head. Sighing, Barry scratched at the back of his head and addressed Cisco. "I couldn't even begin to imagine what she's feeling."

"All she's wanted was for Ronnie to come back," Cisco explained. "I mean, they never even found his body—now we know why." His hand hit his leg with a soft slap. "I mean, how would _you_ feel if your mom suddenly came back from the dead? Or...not dead. I guess." Cisco blinked rapidly before shaking his head. "I mean, sure, that's a fourteen year difference between the two of you but you get my point."

"Yeah," Barry quietly replied.

How would he feel? When he had seen her in the graveyard, or his subconscious, or however it was that he saw her, he was filled with relief and happiness all at the same time. He had spent days, weeks even after her funeral begging for some way to have her come back. But to actually have that happen? It was something that could only ever happen in dreams. Maybe Caitlin's dream was coming true. Everyone deserved that.

"Barry!" Cisco snapped his fingers in Barry's face. "You ok? You kind of spaced out."

"Just thinking," Barry replied. "I've always wanted to have my mom back, but I never thought what it'd be like if it actually happened." He chewed on his bottom lip just slightly before looking over at Averey who silently stared back him. "Must be hard."

"Everyone always wishes to have back something they lost, Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells explained as he rolled his way into the Cortex. Just like Ronnie moments before, he had his head down. "Could you go retrieve Dr. Snow, please? We have a lot we need to discuss."

"What's going on?" Averey asked.

Dr. Wells lifted his head and gave a peculiar smile. "I assume you're all curious to what secret Hartley was not so subtly trying to get you to take notice of." He tapped his long fingers on the hand rests of his electric wheelchair. Barry gave a brief nod of his head. Hartley's smug smile outside of Rathway Industries, as if he knew more about Dr. Wells than anyone else, unnerved him. It also made him curious. What was it that Dr. Wells could be hiding? "Truth will out as they say. But first, we're going to need to pay Dr. McGee and Mercury Labs a visit."

"For what?" Barry asked. Ronnie, or whoever it was, had mentioned that Mercury Labs had something to do with his work, but he couldn't piece together what it was that he was trying to say.

"Well," Dr. Wells explained, "I may not have many at this point in time, but I'm not one to sit by and not help a friend in a time of need. "

* * *

**A/N: **I was going to show Iris on her first day at Central City Picture News, but I think it would have slowed down this chapter a bit, so that'll be pushed to the next one.

I also went back and forth for a while about how I was going to incorporate "The Nuclear Man" and "Fallout" episodes and whether or not I was going to even start Firestorm'sarc before the time traveling episode. As you can see, I decided to add it—as I think it fit well with Caitlin's drive to want to help people. I hope you all enjoy the way I decide to resolve it.

Moving forward, you'll really be getting into the nine months of Averey's life she doesn't remember and her ties to the Royal Flush Gang and why they're intent on bringing her into the group. This also brings Mercury Labs forward much more as well.

Thanks for reading.

_Ethan: _Yes, I'm definitely going to show Barry talking to Averey about being related. I hope you like how I decided to show it in not just one instance, but two. I had that thought of Barry looking through pictures and came to the conclusion that he probably would've been too sad to have done it and then as life went on, his focus shifted away from it and instead focused on how to find his mom's killer. _  
_

_Kellie:_ Haha, even I had a "finally" reaction as I was writing that part out. Hope you enjoy how that affects everything moving forward._  
_

_Babyj: _I didn't even notice until you mentioned it that I did show all of Barry's relationsihps within this chapter. I was mainly focusing on the West family, so I'm glad you were able to get that out of this chapter. Also, the closer I get to the time traveling episode, the closer we get to the crossover, _Flashpoint. _We're nearly there!


	26. Hell Hath No Fury

**-Chapter Twenty-Six-**

**"Hell Hath No Fury Like a Scorned Woman Severely Pissed Off"**

* * *

Iris let out a big breath of air, trying to calm her racing heart, and nerves, and thoughts, and everything! It was her first day at Central City Picture News. Not too long ago, she wasn't even that interested in journalism and had only taken the course at Barry's suggestion. She had declared to Barry just how "bored" she was in class and how "boring" it was to sit in class listening to lecture after lecture of Associated Press writing styles, how to conduct proper interviews, and the ethics of being a journalist. Now here she was with the opportunity to have her own byline in an official paper. Now all she had to do was get out of the car.

"I'm going to be late," Eddie said in her ear. He gave her a good natured smile and stroked his thumb over her shoulder. "And so are you. Let me tell you, that is the _worst_ way to make a first impression."

Iris turned her head to look at her boyfriend, finally breaking her staring contested with the intimidating building. "Not only did my dad go on and on about that," she said with a teasing smile, "but I heard Captain Singh mumbling about it at the picnics." Eddie made a face and Iris leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks for driving me, babe," she said with a bright smile.

"And miss your first day?" he asked. "You have nothing to worry about, you'll do great."

"Everyone else has had years of experience—"

"They had to start somewhere, didn't they?" Eddie asked.

Iris doubted they all had popular blogs to start out with, but he was right. They didn't always have recognizable names and laundry lists of awards for their work. Soon, everyone would be reading her work and remembering _her _name. Hey, maybe even she would win a prize or two someday. It wasn't too conceded to already know where she was going to display it in her apartment, was it?

"Yeah, but they probably all weren't working on a thesis at the same time," Iris replied. She gasped and snapped her fingers. "Speaking of which, I need to set up a meeting with my advisor. I completely forgot."

"Don't worry about it," Eddie replied. He twisted in his seat to face her side, resting his arm on top of the steering wheel of his car. "You're not Iris West the grad student right now; you're Iris West the reporter."

"Has a nice ring to it," Iris said with an appreciative smile. She pointed a finger at his face. "_Ace _reporter."

"My mistake," Eddie agreed with a laugh.

"Ok, wish me luck."

"You won't need it." Iris gave him another kiss on the cheek, popped her seat belt, and sung open the door. "But, you're going to need your lunch."

Turning back around, Iris reached for her floral print lunch bag. "Thanks."

"Call me as soon as you're done for the day, I'll take you out and we can talk all about it," Eddie said as he shifted his car into drive, flicking on the turn signal. He checked the flow of traffic over his shoulder.

"Actually, I think I'd rather stay in," Iris replied. "I can't just stroll into the CCPD on my breaks now."

Eddie pretended to pout. "And those were the highlights of my day at times," he mumbled. Iris rolled her eyes. "I'll pick up Chinese on the way home, but I really have to get going."

"So do I," Iris said with a little excited bounce. "I'll see you later." After a wave and an "I love you", she faced Central City Picture News before taking her first steps into the building.

Her stomach tightened just like it had the first day of every new school year. At least she wasn't crying like the first day of kindergarten when her dad dropped her off. A part of her wished her dad was there to walk her in, but how professional would that look? She'd have to let go of his hand sooner or later.

"Iris West?" Turning away from how clean, and red, and professional the whole place looked, she came face to face with Linda Park. "Hi, I'm—"

"Linda Park, I know who you are," Iris said, offering her hand. Linda blinked as Iris's lunch bag slid down her wrist, hitting her in the stomach. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"That's ok, don't worry about it," Linda replied as Iris hastily pulled her lunch bag up to her elbow. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Iris replied. "Wow. I mean, I know you just had your last on screen report, but I didn't know you were coming _here_ and writing…" Iris trailed off, suddenly realizing not knowing what it was that Linda Park was assigned to.

"Sports," Linda supplied. She shrugged her shoulders. "I thought it was a better career move for me. I liked reporting, and travelling, but I've also been a bit of a homebody." Her red lips parted in a smile. "I was instructed to come find you and bring you back to the conference room. Mr. Larkin thought it'd be best for the two newest staff members to stick together."

"Oh, good." Iris gave her a relieved smile and followed Linda through the halls of the building. "Just as long as you don't hold it over my head if I throw up on you."

"No worries," Linda laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "As long as you pay for my dry cleaning." She waved a hand in the air. "That'd be a highlight compared to my first day on TV. Giggle fit in the middle of my report…about a death."

"Oooh," Iris said, wincing. "I guess you've got me beat."

Linda laughed as they came to a set of heavy doors. "I wear my badge proudly," she declared as she pulled the doors open, motioning for Iris to step inside.

In front of her was a long dark wood table that seated men and women of the newspaper as they talked quietly to each other and shuffled their papers, preparing themselves for this meeting. A buzz of excitement around the room sent goose bumps up her arms. Something was happening and she was excited to be a part of it.

"I found her, sir," Linda said, talking over the chatter. The man at the head of the table, Mr. Larkin, excused himself from a conversation with the woman he was talking to and his eyes swept across the room until he spotted Linda and Iris.

"Oh, good, good," Mr. Larkin declared. He clapped his hands together and the conversations in the room died down. "I have called you all in here today to discuss a big press event we're going to cover for the paper. I just got tipped off that a press release regarding both Mercury and STAR Labs is being set up at this very moment to discuss the events that have occurred not only a year ago but recently."

Iris looked around the room as low mutters and grumbles filled the room and she frowned. Sure, she didn't know Dr. Wells, Caitlin Snow, or Cisco Ramon _that _well, but they had done everything they could to help Barry. He wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for them. In the few times she did get t hang out with Caitlin and Cisco, she found that they were genuinely nice people and were passionate about their work.

"So, what would you like me to do?" Iris asked. "What's my first assignment?"

"I'm pulling Linda from sports for now to make sure we get this issue out first thing tomorrow," Mr. Larkin explained, jabbing his finger in Linda's direction. "She'll be helping you work on covering the previous incident at Mercury Labs; we'll make sure that's brought up in this press event so make sure you take accurate notes."

"Yes, sir," Iris replied.

Mr. Larkin nodded his head and snapped his fingers in the air. "Mason!" Iris turned and felt her breath catch in her throat as Mason Bridge strode through the room with a newspaper tucked underneath his arm. "Miss Park, Miss West." He beckoned the two women forward and Iris followed Linda over to Mr. Larkin's side. "This is Mason Bridge; you will be shadowing him today. Go to the press event, get as many sources as you can, as many sound bites as you can, and more importantly get answers."

Mason groaned, his eyes shifting towards the ceiling. "Sir, I can get this all done myself," he protested.

"I'm sure you can, but I need all hands on deck for this one, Mason," Mr. Larkin said, clapping Mason on the shoulder. Mason looked the two women over with obvious disdain. "Linda Park has joined the team after working with television news, and Iris West has been hired on after her tremendous work keeping track of the Flash sightings around the city."

"You sure you want to put your trust in the hands of a writer of a gossip blog?" Mason asked.

"I don't run a gossip blog," Iris replied, trying to keep the bite out of her remark. "It's all backed up with sightings and sources. Picture proof."

"This _Flash _is the fastest thing out there and you're saying you have an accurate, detailed picture proof of the guy?" Mason asked, hiking an eyebrow. "A cell phone can't move that fast."

_Neither can your brain_, Iris thought to herself. "The Flash is out there, he's real and he's helping the city," Iris said, taking a step closer towards Mason. She felt Linda's hand gently grasp her elbow. Great, her first day and she was sure she was making a great impression. But, her blog was more than just rumors and gossip.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Mason replied.

"Good." Iris pressed her lips together. "Because the Flash isn't the only blur running around Central City. There's something going on in this town and I'll be the one to prove what's going on."

Mason hesitated for a moment and Mr. Larkin looked excited. "And—and you have proof of this?" he asked. "Of this other 'blur'?"

Iris bit down on the inside of her cheek only because she knew she couldn't fit both of her feet in her mouth at one time. Linda, Mr. Larkin, and Mason were all staring at her, waiting to see what it was she was going to say. She had seen the Yellow Flash herself, in the flesh, there was no denying that; her smashed computer was proof of that

"I have connections," Iris replied with a nod of her head. She wasn't exactly lying; Eddie had witnessed what the Yellow Flash had done to the fallen officers and Mercury Labs was right in the middle of it. And she _had _been in the center of the Jitters hit. Unfortunately, not a lot of people really knew what had happened on those two occasions; the police had done a good job of covering it up as a robbery gone bad or anything along those lines.

"It's best not to make the public panic," Joe had explained to her countless times over the years. She couldn't imagine what it was like to go to work risking seeing some gruesome things and having to keep it quiet. On the other hand, it _was _her job as a reporter to gather all the facts and present them in a clear and concise manner to keep the readers informed.

Mr. Larkin stared at her, looking curious and impressed all at the same time. "Let's see what you've got, Miss West," he said rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Combining what we learn today with what you may know, Central City might finally feel like they're being informed about what's going on."

"Great." Iris forced a smile to her face.

"We'll just see if you can back that up," Mason replied.

"Hey, we're all on the same team here," Mr. Larkin said, trying to ease the tension. "I wouldn't have offered Miss West the position if I didn't think she had the chops to pull this off. I wasn't even expecting a Flash connection, so this is even better than planned."

"Actually, sir—"

"Head on out now, I'll meet back up with you hear and go over how you plan to write this up," Mr. Larkin said, ushering them aside. "Go, go, go. The press waits for no man."

Pushing her hair back behind her ears, Iris made sure she had her belongings as Linda offered to drive her over to Mercury Labs. "Thanks," Iris replied. "I don't know what came over me just then."

"I do," Linda said with a shrug, her shoulders touching the ends of her bob hairstyle. "I can see why Mr. Larkin hired you; you have a passion for this. I saw the fire in your eyes. That's what sets you apart from all the other reporters."

"Yeah, but I wonder if 'all the other reporters' have the knack for having room to stick both their feet into their mouths at one time," Iris said with a little laugh. "Barry always said I always talked big—and that I talked a lot. I guess that is true, Caitlin and Cisco over at STAR Labs told me the same thing." She paused, looking over at Linda who gave her a smile of amusement. "I'm doing it right now, aren't I?"

"People don't like talking to journalists who don't have an open personality." Linda reminded her. "You'll fit in great, don't worry."

* * *

Cisco slowly turned in a circle as he took in the layout of Mercury Labs. He let out a low whistle, giving a nod of approval. "Not to knock what we have at STAR Labs," he said with a shrug as he slid his hands into his pants pockets. "But this set up is pretty dope."

"Well, Christina always had to go above and beyond with her work," Dr. Wells said with an appreciative smile as he followed Cisco's lead and gazed around the room. "Average was never enough for her."

"That it's not," Dr. McGee agreed as she stepped into the room, side glancing the podium that held many microphones adorned with the labels of all the big Central City news outlets. "I have never gone to the extent of hiring those who faked their credentials unlike popular belief would have you think." She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "I hire those who have a passion for their work."

"As do I," Dr. Wells said with a slight nod of his head.

"And yet you had fired Hartley Rathaway from one of your top positions," Dr. McGee shot back. Dr. Wells smiled.

Cisco looked back and forth between the two doctors as they conversed with each other. He couldn't believe he was in the same room as two of the most respectable scientists in his field. He also couldn't believe that they were throwing barbs back and forth at each other as casually as they were for two scientists who were known to be close colleagues.

"I must say I am surprised you didn't snatch him up," Dr. Wells commented, his secretive smile disappearing just slightly. "What with all the other former STAR Labs employees finding work here."

Dr. McGee scowled. "I'm sorry you haven't found success in all of your projects, Harrison," she said in a tight voice, "but I took the opportunity I'm sure you would have taken yourself. You know how competitive this field of study is."

"Yeah, but he's not wrong," Cisco heard Caitlin say under her breath. He looked over at her out of the corner of his eye. Caitlin stared at the podium, her coat wrapped tightly in her arms, biting her lower lip. "Hartley was wanted by everybody. What made Dr. Wells want to fire him?"

"Attitude clashes maybe?" Cisco asked. Caitlin made a humming noise in the back of her throat, giving him a knowing smile. Hartley Rathaway was certainly not the easiest person to get along with no matter what rank you had at STAR Labs; he had a condescending comment for everyone, even if _he _was the subordinate.

"Dr. McGee, Dr. Wells, we should get started soon."

As Cisco turned to see who it was that spoke, a flash of brown streaked past his vision before Averey hit the floor with a _whump_ to end her dive behind what looked like the floor's receptionist counter. "What are you doing?" Barry asked, blinking repeatedly at the sudden movement.

"Looking for my earring," Averey replied, popping her head around the side of the curved desk.

"Do you…you aren't his even wearing earrings," Cisco pointed out.

"Maybe I would if I could find my earring, hey, mate?" Averey asked.

"Well, if they turn up, we've got a lost and found here, as you know." Cisco looked over at the dark haired man who adjusted his tie as he spoke. "I'll let the others know you're looking for it, Averey."

"Thanks, Gavin," Averey said as she got to her feet, brushing at the dirt on her knees. She tapped her finger nails on the counter as Gavin asked her why she was there, his eyes flickering over the STAR Labs workers. "Moral support."

"That's an admirable quality," Gavin commented, rolling up his shirt sleeves. "Don't ever forget that."

Cisco didn't like the way Gavin looked at any of them; as if he was sizing them up. No, that was exactly what he was doing. He saw it from Hartley the first day he walked into STAR Labs. But, what had Gavin so standoffish? Maybe because he worked at Mercury Labs and STAR Labs was all but defunct. Dick. He wasn't doing anything as important as them. They wouldn't be working safely if they weren't taking the time to take metahumans off the streets.

"Who's that?" Cisco asked as he, Barry, Caitlin, and Averey moved to be sure they were out of the way of the cameras that were pointing at the podium as the press event started.

"One of my flatmates, Gavin Turner," Averey replied, her mouth forming a thin line before she pressed them tightly together. Almost like she was guilty of something.

"Sssh, they're starting," Caitlin said, starting to chew on her lips.

Reporters instantly surged forward as Dr. Wells and Dr. McGee took their places behind the table. Cisco spotted Iris standing between a man and a woman, all three of them holding handheld recording devices.

Dr. Wells spoke first, thanking everyone for joining them for their impromptu press release. If it wasn't for Barry, no one would have gotten the tip that anything was even going to happen. For a long shot, this was a pretty impressive turn out. After Dr. McGee spoke regarding why he assumed everyone was there, the interview questions came one after another, until it was a cacophony of voices with both doctors urging them to speak one at a time.

"Dr. McGee, you have not spoken out about the allegations against Mercury Labs since the leak, have you had any indication as to how that happened? How will you bounce back from this?"

"STAR Labs and Mercury Labs have been competing with each other since fruition, why the joint press conference now?"

"What can you tell us about these so called projects Mercury Labs and STAR Labs are working on and how does it affect the future of Central City? Can we expect another disaster that occurred here a year ago?"

_Damn. _Cisco didn't know how the two scientists could field those questions without letting their frustrations and feelings get in the way, but they were doing a great job. Dr. McGee stressed that she "did not know how the leak came about or who it was that had caused it, but that they were getting to the bottom of it" and that Central City could expect "positive advances from Mercury Labs in the future."

Then all eyes were on Dr. Wells and he dropped the bomb. He had previously been warned about the events that could cause the accident. He had known and still decided, no, _insisted_ on moving forward with the project. Cisco quickly deduced that it had to have been Hartley that warned Dr. Wells of the imminent danger. It had to have been the reason for his quick dismissal.

Caitlin and Cisco had seen Hartley pack up all his belongings in a hurry, stuffing them into a small box, and being escorted out of the premises. It had been STAR Labs gossip for a while and they had _enjoyed_ him not being around.

"No wonder he wanted revenge," Cisco said quietly to himself. He looked over at Caitlin and silently took in her wide-eyed, far off stare. Ronnie. Cisco put a hand on her arm and felt Caitlin tense under his touch. "Cait—"

"Ronnie never would have died if it wasn't for that explosion," Caitlin said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Dr. Wells _knew _something could go wrong. He killed Ronnie—or, or took his future away from him." Cisco bowed his head. Dr. Wells may have aimed the gun in Ronnie's direction, but by locking him inside the malfunctioning accelerator, Cisco had pulled the trigger. He was responsible just as much as Dr. Wells. Caitlin's lips quivered. "And he didn't care."

"Cait, he cared," Barry said in a gruff voice. "He wants to help him understand his F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M abilities?"

"Does he?" Caitlin asked with a bitter laugh. "Or is it because he knows one of his only two workers wants him to?" She shook her head back and forth. "I can't believe he was that selfish."

"He was that close to a scientific breakthrough," Averey said with a shrug. "You can't blame him for being that excited to do it anyway. You were all excited."

That's true they were. Only, they hadn't known about the complications. All their hard work leading up to getting the accelerator online required test after test after test and diagnostic checks to make sure everything was going to run smoothly. So what went wrong? How did no one but Hartley catch that something could happen?

"I wasn't excited for this," Caitlin declared before heading towards a back exit.

Cisco let out a long sigh. "It's no wonder scientists put everything into their work," he muttered to themselves. "It doesn't hurt them." He briefly made a face. "Except for when things exploded, and you were caught on fire, and acid ate away at your clothes." He shook his head, realizing he was having a conversation with him.

Before he knew it, the press conference had ended, but the journalists had stayed behind hoping to get in some last minute questions. Cisco blinked, startled, when the woman standing beside Iris shoved a recorder into his face. "Hi, I'm Linda Park," she said with a smile. "I understand you're one of the two scientists who have continued their work with Dr. Wells after this year. Would you mind if I asked a couple questions?"

"Uh, sorry, Linda, but now's not the best time," Cisco said, giving her an apologetic smile as he gently pushed the recorder away from him. "I'm sorry."

"It's just a couple of questions," Linda insisted.

"Sorry, but I can't," Cisco said, putting his hands up into the air. "I have to go make sure my friend is ok. All I can tell you is that STAR Labs just wants to help Central City. That was all we set out to do; I mean, " Cisco jerked his thumb in Barry's direction—the speed metahuman was standing off to the side, jaw set, eyes lowered into a hard stare, "Barry is living proof of that."

"He was the one who was struck by lightning that night," Linda said, her gaze drifting over towards him. "He looks good for someone who was in a coma for while." She crossed her arms over her chest, jutting her hip out just lightly as she looked him over. "Real good."

"That's what electrolytes will do to you," Cisco joked. "I'm sorry, but I really have to go." Cisco walked over to Barry and Averey. "I'm going to check on Cait, could you make sure Dr. Wells gets back ok?" After he got the word from the metahumans, Cisco made his way straight from Mercury Labs and back to STAR Labs, heading straight down into the pipeline.

Punching in the code to call Hartley's pod, Cisco waited until "Pied Piper" as he so eloquently called himself, was face to face with him. Imagine that, all that time he wanted to get Hartley out of his face, and now he actually wanted to put himself in front of him.

"Now what's got poor, Cisquito so mad?" Hartley asked in a baby voice as he peered out at Cisco through the glass of his pod. Cisco grit his teeth at the nickname and Hartley gave a small smile. "Wells not giving you enough attention even _after _I left?"

"You didn't leave, you were fired," Cisco corrected him. Hartley barely reacted to the statement. "Why didn't you tell anyone else about the risks of the accelerator?"

"Dr. Wells wouldn't listen to me," Hartley said with a sigh, sounding bored. "He's one of the greatest minds in our field. What makes you think anyone else would have understood?" He tilted his head to the side. "Least of all, you."

"We were risking _everyone's _lives," Cisco hissed. "And you only thought it was important that you saved your own ass."

Hartley scoffed. "Yes, and my excruciating tinnitus is my reward," he said flatly.

"Lay off the caffeine," Cisco commented.

"And once again, I wonder how you were able to last this long," Hartley said with a roll of his eyes. He lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why are you here, Cisquito?"

"And to think I wanted to tell you 'sorry'," Cisco said with a shake of his head. Hartley blinked, his harsh demeanor disappearing for a moment before suspicion took its place. "I felt bad when I heard why you were fired."

"Ha!" Hartley leaned back as he exclaimed towards the ceiling. "I heard the whispers, I saw the pointing, and I saw all of your smiles. You were happy to have me gone."

"Maybe if you weren't so much of a jerk people would have warmed up to you," Cisco replied. He briefly closed his eyes. "You did the right thing telling Dr. Wells about how you didn't think the accelerator was ready to go live. I'm sorry he fired you for it, you didn't deserve that."

Hartley's shoulders dropped. "No," he agreed, "I didn't. I also didn't deserve to be blackballed from the field, either." He shook his head. "I tried getting work elsewhere, but no one wanted to hire me. For reasons I don't know why, but I'm sure Wells could explain that."

"I'm sorry," Cisco said. Hartley reacted in surprise. Cisco was surprised as well. He never thought that he'd ever be saying those words to his greatest enemy. "Dr. Wells just held a press conference with Mercury Labs and he admitted to be warned about the accelerator."

"So he finally comes clean," Hartley said as he started to pace the room. He skimmed his fingers alongside the padded interior. "Can't say I ever saw the day that would happen. Better late than never I suppose. About time Wells comes clean about everything he's done."

"That was the secret wasn't it?" Cisco pressed.

"One of many," Hartley replied, waving his hand in the air. "We have to keep our projects a secret."

Cisco was silent for a moment before bringing up Ronnie and the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project, and what had occurred while Barry was out capturing him. "After Mercury Labs turned Ronnie, or whoever he is away, he tried to come here, didn't he?" he asked.

"You might not be as dim as I thought you were," Hartley said, his upper lips curling. "Yes, 'Ronnie' was on his way here. In fact, he had made it here that night, but he didn't make it inside. And he didn't make it out, either."

"I don't understand," Cisco said. Hartley rolled his eyes. "Either you tell me, smart ass—"

"It's not something I can tell you, I have to show you," Hartley said, interrupting Cisco. "Seeing is believing after all. You're smart, Ciscquito, you should know that." Cisco pressed his lips together. "This is really eating at you, isn't it? You want answers; that's all we work towards isn't it? To answer the questions that life gives us."

"Just shut up, Hartley!" Cisco said, shifting his gaze towards the ceiling. He had made up his mind. This was something he could do to help Caitlin heal and he could get answers. With what technology STAR Labs had to offer, if they could fix Ronnie, maybe people would finally start to believe that they're doing good things. "I'll let you out, and you'll do everything I say when I say it. This isn't for me, this is for Caitlin." He was silent for a moment. "And for you. I know STAR Labs was your home just like it's home to me."

"Aw, that's sweet," Hartley said quietly. He cleared his throat and rocked back and forth on his heels. "Thank you. Cisco." Cisco turned towards the panel in the wall and popped it open, reaching for one of the many pairs of handcuffs inside.

As he turned back to face the makeshift jail cell, he gave a nod of his head. "You're welcome," Cisco stiffly replied. "I know you liked working here. Even if you were an asshole about it." Cisco opened Hartley's pod door and slapped the handcuffs on him, making sure they were secure before pulling him out of the confined space. "Move. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Of course, of course," Hartley said evenly. Cisco pushed Hartley in front of him, following his directions to the Cortex. "As long as you have computer access here you won't have to worry about me. You can put me back in that cell for as long as you please." Cisco put his hands on Hartley's shoulders, forcing him into the empty rolling chairs at the computer tables in the Cortex. "Tell me, Cisco, are you keen to keep your own secrets from your friend in order to do this? Hacking is a criminal act after all."

"Just tell me what I'm looking for, Hartley," Cisco said, moving to hover over Hartley's shoulders, fingers poised over the keyboards.

"Security tapes recovered from the night of the accident," Hartley explained. "Footage that haven't been seen outside of the public eye accept for a select few that base their lives around protecting us." Cisco gave him a confused look. "The police, dummy."

Cisco pulled his fingers away from the keyboard. He didn't have to look at Hartley to know he had a smug smile on his face. He always did; it was like his default setting and it didn't get any less annoying to see. But, he went ahead and hacked into the computer system and followed Hartley's instructions before coming upon a video of that night.

As they watched, Cisco felt his heart race as he watched the timer in the corner tick on. He knew what was going to happen next; how it was going to affect everyone, and once again, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Watch carefully," Hartley advised.

Cisco leaned closer to the computer screen. He didn't want to miss anything. The timer continued and he watched the picture illuminate with a bright flash as the accelerator exploded. People outside the building hurried in different directions, and then a red-gold wave rushed over everyone. Including a very familiar looking scientist.

"I don't believe it," Cisco whispered.

"Believe it, Cisquito." That was the last words he heard before he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head. His head swung forward and collided with the desk table, and he crumpled to the floor…

Cisco didn't know how much time had passed before the pounding in his head ache had subsided enough for him to move without feeling like he was going to tip over or throw up. He felt a soft pillow beneath his head and blankets around him, holding him protectively.

"Hey, buddy."

"Don't talk so loudly," Cisco said, putting his hand to his head as he squinted over at Barry. He instantly started pushing his blankets off of him. "Hartley!"

"Relax," Barry said, putting a hand to Cisco's shoulder. "We got him. Don't worry."

"Why are you yelling?" Cisco asked, recoiling. Barry motioned towards his ears.

"My ears are still ringing," he explained. "Hartley is very smart." Barry bowed his head for a moment. "Too smart."

"_I need help over here_." Caitlin's tone of alarm instantly put Cisco to action. He climbed out of the bed he was in, stumbling just slightly as he waited to catch his balance, before crossing the medical bay to the other occupied bed. Cisco instantly spotted the red stains on the latex gloves that covered Caitlin's fingers and the wads of gauze that sat on the tray beside her. "She's losing too much blood."

"What's going on?" Cisco asked.

"Hartley," Caitlin replied distractedly. "His sound waves practically ripped Barry and Averey apart from the inside out." She used the back of her wrist to wipe at her hairline. "Luckily, Barry can heal himself pretty quickly. Averey on the other hand."

Cisco finally looked down at the pale ocular metahuman who had blood dripping out of the side of her mouth. Her chest rapidly lifted and fell as she breathed, face contorted with pain. "Barry is A+," Caitlin said. Cisco wasn't sure if he was saying that to herself or to himself and Barry. "We need him. He's the only one who can help her."

"I'm O+," Cisco stated. "I mean, that's like _the _type of blood to want to have."

"I know, Cisco, but I have a hunch," Caitlin said. She trailed off for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I think…if we can get Barry's blood in Averey, her body will be able to heal itself. Not as fast as Barry, mind you, but fast enough. That lightening altered his DNA, his biological make up that day, I think it'd help."

"Ok, but—"

"And it's better to try out someone in your familial line before asking anyone else," Caitlin quickly added.

"Well, yeah…but…" Cisco trailed off, peering over at Caitlin. He turned towards Barry who was silently staring down at Averey, a distant look on his face. "Cait? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Caitlin faced Barry, talking solely to him, "that since you and Averey are related, even if only by half of your bloodline, that you need to help her. I don't care if you're mad that she didn't tell you that she's your sister, but I saw how you acted when you thought she was shot; you were worried and you were scared _because_ you know you're family."

"Dude," Cisco whispered.

Caitlin let out a huff of annoyance (directed at him?) and removed the gloves from her hands before clapping her hands in Barry's face, the loud snapping sound jolting him awake. "Hey!" Barry lifted his head and took in her fiery gaze. "She will die if she can't get your blood or _any _blood," Caitlin said through grit teeth. "You can heal twenty times faster than she can and she needs your help; this is our only shot." A long pause of silence filled the STAR Labs medical bay. Caitlin shook her head back and forth. She briefly glanced over at Cisco who was staring at Barry, jaw dropped.

"What do I need to do?" Barry finally asked, stepping forward.

"I need you to get her to the hospital," Caitlin replied, "_now. _I need you to run as fast as you can, Barry. Faster than you've ever have."

"No hopsals," Averey mumbled, her words slurring together. "Esspessive."

"Run, Barry, _run_!"

/ / /

"Next of kin," Barry read aloud, pausing in filling out the hospital admission form. He scratched at the gauze wrapped around his inner elbow as another painful itch popped up. He knew the IV site had healed by now, but with Iris in the room, he couldn't bring attention to that. "That's me, I guess." His hand blurred as he used his speed to quickly fill in the information. "Alternate contact after that?" Barry threw his hands into the air. "How should I know?"

The words on the form in his hands started to blur together and Berry set down the pen to rub at his eyes. He just wanted this all to be over. Caitlin, who was staring intently at the aquarium that sloshed and bubbled, briefly glanced in his direction and gave him a reassuring smile. Cisco was making beat box noises and slapping the palms of his hands on his knee caps. Iris, who came as soon as she heard the news and was alternating between being on her phone and keeping an eye on the elevator as she waited for her dad and Eddie—reached out a hand and gently squeezed Barry's wrist.

"Maybe I should get everyone coffee," Caitlin offered, getting to her feet. Barry gave her a smile of thanks before telling her what he would like to drink. "Iris, I'll check to see if Eddie and your dad have arrived."

"I'll come with you," Iris offered, giving Barry's wrist another squeeze before she got to her feet. "I'll help you carry the drinks." The two of them left the room, the sound of their clacking heels fading into the distance as they left Cisco and Barry alone.

"So…she's your sister?" Cisco asked, breaking the silence in the visiting room.

Barry nodded his head. "Half-sister, yeah," he replied, looking up from the form in his lap. That was still weird for him to say. He had a sibling. There was someone out there related to him all this time and he didn't even know it. Now here she was, fighting metahumans with him and now fighting for her life. Sighing, Barry settled back in his seat. "Look, Cisco, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but—"

"No, no, that's ok, dude," Cisco replied, waving his hand in the air. Barry watched as his knee started to bounce. "Is that why you guys were arguing earlier?"

"Earlier?" Barry repeated. Then he remembered the other day when the two metahumans went off to fight Peekaboo and Pied Piper by themselves. "Oh, you mean in the Cortex?" Barry did a quick glance around the room just in case a doctor walked up. "Yeah. She had known for a while and never told me." He let out a sigh and smacked himself in the forehead with the clipboard. "She wouldn't have tried to do things for herself if I wasn't so mad at her.

"Don't do that Barry." Cisco shook his head. "I know what it's like to carry blame for something for a long time. It sucks and it doesn't help anyone." He crossed his arms over his chest as he slumped in his chair and looked over at his friend. "Just admit it, she can be as stubborn as you and you hate that." Barry shrugged. "I don't know, I like that about her."

That comment made Barry take notice for some reason. There was something about the question that made Barry feel like it wasn't as casual as Cisco tried to come across. He turned in his seat to look at Cisco, giving him a curious look. Cisco looked over at his friend out of the corner of his eye once, twice, three times.

"Look, man, I'm just saying," Cisco said, putting his hands up defensively. "Trying to break the silence and all that."

"Cisco," Barry said flatly, "just spit it out." Cisco looked like he was going to protest and Barry gave him a pointed look.

Cisco shrugged his shoulders, making a scoffing noise. He looked around the room, trying to look nonchalant until he looked back over at Barry giving him a sheepish smile. "So is she off limits?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?" Barry gave him a confused look and Cisco jerked his thumb in the direction behind him.

"Averey, your sister," Cisco explained. Barry's gaze momentarily went to the closed hospital door before he looked back at Cisco. "Is she off limits?" Cisco briefly closed his eyes and got to the point. "Dude, can I ask her out or what?"

"Uhhhhh?" Barry's held out word turned more into a question. "You…want to ask her out?" He opened and closed his mouth. "Huh." Cisco looked at him expectantly but Barry didn't know how to answer. "I don't know what to say."

"'Yes' would be nice," Cisco replied. "Or 'no'. Whichever." He pursed his lips for a moment. "I'd prefer a 'yes'. But, I'm just saying." Barry hadn't seen Cisco that flustered since Bette Sans Souci was around. His attempt at flirting then gave Barry second-hand embarrassment, but this…

Barry let out a small laugh. He now had to accept that Averey was related to him, this had never crossed his mind. How was she supposed to answer that question? Sure, he could refer to Averey as his friend, and of course now as his sister, and as Visionary she was his sidekick in a way, but being realistic, he didn't know her well enough to really make that kind of decision as a brother.

"Uhhh…I…guess?" Barry slowly replied. Cisco let out a sigh, a smile coming to his face.

"Ok, thanks," he said, wiping his palms on his knees. He lifted a hand and punched Barry's shoulder. "Cool."

A stretch of silence fell over the two of them and Barry "Are you going to do it here or-?"

"No," Cisco quickly replied. "Pffft, no." His knee started bouncing again. "Well, I mean, life is short so why not go for it, right? But, I mean, I don't just want to do it 'cause she nearly died or whatever." He waved his hand in the air before crossing his arms over his chest. "No, not here. That'd be pretty odd, right?" He raked his fingers through his hair. "Maybe it's just this concussion making me think weird."

"Sure," Barry replied, trying to hold back a laugh. He hid his mouth behind the clipboard and tried to stop himself from laughing out loud. He really didn't think it was funny in a laugh out loud kind of way, but the whole day was just…crazy.

"Barry Allen?" Barry leaped to his feet and turned to face the nurse who was quietly closing the door of Averey's hospital room behind her. The woman gave Barry a warm smile as he and Cisco hurried to stand in front of her. "She's doing just fine; she's taking to the blood transfer well. We're just going to be monitoring her for the next few days to make sure there's no reactions such as chills, fainting, or a fever. We also found we needed to take out her appendix during surgery, so we're keeping an eye on that as well."

"But, she's ok?" Cisco asked.

"Yes, and she's open to visitors," the nurse said with a nod of her head. Barry let out a breath of air. "Just one at a time for now and starting with family. You can go in now."

"Go ahead," Cisco said, thumping Barry's shoulder blade with his hand. "I'll let Caitlin and Iris know she's awake."

"Yeah, thanks," Barry said, barely looking over at Cisco as he went to find the girls. Handing the hospital forms to the nurse, he gave the woman a tight lipped smile before he made his way into the hospital room. Stepping quietly into the room, Barry crossed the linoleum flooring to a chair that sat by the window and carried it over to the bedside as Averey stirred. "Hi."

"Hey," Averey said, blinking repeatedly to try and wake herself up. "Told you I had your back."

"Yeah," Barry agreed with a nod of his head. "You scared me."

"Sorry." She sucked in a deep breath of air before letting it out through her nose, looking more awake then when moments before. "Is Cisco ok? Peekaboo and Pied Piper?"

"Everyone's fine," Barry reassured her. "Cisco, Caitlin, and Iris are waiting to see you. Joe and Eddie are on their way." Averey nodded her head. "Peekaboo and Pied Piper are back in the Pipeline, don't worry."

"Good," she replied. A look of determination came across her face. "Barry, I'm all in with this." He gave her a confused look and she shifted the gaze to the ceiling. "Taking down these metahumans. Any of them could be like Shawna and Hartley and go crazy with power. I'm not going to let any of them do that to someone else."

"Are you sure?" Barry asked. He pressed his lips together for a moment. "I got my sister and now I almost lost her."

Averey's lips lifted into a half smile. **"**Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman seriously pissed off," she replied and Barry matched her smile. "I'm sure. Besides, I don't think I'll be in here that long if what Caitlin thinks is true."

"The nurse said they had to take out your appendix during surgery," Barry explained.

"Who needs one of those?" Averey asked, waving her hand in the air. She dropped her hand onto her stomach before she lifted it towards him, curling her fingers into a fist. "I'll work hard to help you out, Barry. I'll help STAR Labs to the best of my ability, and help you clear dad's name, yeah?"

Barry smiled, bumping his fist against hers before laying his hand on top of hers. "Yeah."

* * *

Three days later, Henry threw his hand down onto the table, looking expectantly at inmates to see if anyone had something that could beat his two pair. Two had already folded , and with the pot growing with honey buns, pudding, and socks it was decent enough to try and stay in the game as long as possible.

"Can anyone beat that?" Henry asked, fingers twitching towards the pile. He really needed the socks. Shower shoes wasn't much protection against what could be growing in the facilities but it was all he had after some of his items were stolen after being questioned by the correctional officers regarding the break out.

"Snitches get stitches" as everyone put it and he quickly learned that rule himself, but he would've done whatever he could to help Barry with his cases. If he had to win hi items back, so be it. He had nearly reached his spending limit for the month at the commissary, and it would be a while until he worked enough to get enough spending money.

"Straight," the heavily bearded man to his left said, stroking his gray streaked beard. "Nice try, Al."

Henry let out a heavy sigh, running his hand over his face, shaking his head. So much for that. Lifting a hand to grasp a handful of his hair, he watched as Pepper Beard let out a wheezy laugh, collecting his winnings. The plastic crinkled as a honey bun was ripped open. Henry's stomach growled as a large, lip smacking bite was taken out of the sugary sweet. It was hours before the next meal time.

"Who's up for another round, boys?"

"Count me out," Henry said, pushing away the small pile of cards that sat in front of him. "I've got nothing else to put up for it."

"Poor, Al," the inmate sitting across from him pretended to pout. He shook his head back and forth. "You shouldn't have opened your mouth. It only gets you in trouble."

By that logic, then they would be putting targets on their back just by associating with him. That either didn't seem to bother them, or they just didn't care. Why would they when they were winning food and useful items off of him? At least for the moment, he didn't have to worry about watching his back. Being in the infirmary, he had some comfort in knowing that other inmate couldn't reach him without permission to be in the room, but his injuries weren't dire enough t o keep him in for an extended stay.

"Speaking of trouble…" the heavily tattooed inmate to Henry's right tilted his head to the side before he twisted in his seat.

Henry turned his head and looked over his shoulder and watched as a couple correctional officers came into the room, faces bank. "Allen!" Henry winced, squeezing his eyes shut at the loud shout. Chuckles went around the room as all eyes fell on him. "What now?" Turning around in his seat to face the officers, a heavy sigh slid past his lips. "Yes?"

"Let's go, Allen." A pair of handcuffs were brandished in his face as Officer Corwin made a beeline towards him. He lifted his hand, using his fingers to indicate him forward. "You're going on a trip."

"To where?" Henry asked. A sweat broke out around his hairline, collar, and armpits, thoughts starting to race through his mind. Inmates could be taken out of Iron Heights for any reason, whether they were being transferred from pod to pod, or if they were actually being transferred to different prisons. No one really knew until they were outside the doors housing them.

"Got word your kid's in the hospital," Officer Corwin replied with, giving him an impatient stare. "Got permission for you to go over, come on. Transport's waiting."

"_What_?" Henry jumped to his feet, worry instantly flooding his body. Barry was in the hospital? Or…He stopped, blinking rapidly; or was it Averey? His wrists were gripped tightly by the handcuffs that were slapped onto his wrists. "I didn't fill out a request form to leave—"

"Already taken care of," Officer Corwin said, interrupting him.

"The Warden?"

"Has given you permission to go," Officer Corwin replied, crouching down to snap cuffs around his ankles. Henry grunted in pain when he tugged on the chain in between the two cuffs around his ankles. "Seems you've got some good connections outside of Iron Heights, Al."

"How long?" he asked.

"A few days from my understanding."

Henry allowed himself to be pulled out of the room, aware that all eyes were on him. A couple days. Any day he could go without hearing about his kid was a good and bad thing; on one hand he wouldn't have to worry so much about if anything was going wrong, but on the other, he didn't know how they were doing.

"Do you know what happened? How bad is it? Are they going to be ok?" Henry peppered Officer Corwin with questions as he was led through a serious of halls, through many doors, and down a darkened car port before coming upon a van with exhaust clouds coming out of the tailpipe.

"Right this way." Joe's voice caught Henry's ear and he looked over at his old friend as he slid open the side door. "We're ready to go when you are." Henry realized not only did he have good connections on the outside, but he had a good friend, too. "I've been asked to accompany transportation of the inmate."

Officer Corwin merely shrugged before shoving Henry forward. Henry stumbled a few steps before regaining his balance, climbing up into the van. His feet were secured to the seat, the doors were slammed shut, and soon they were on their way through the streets of Central City.

"Which one?" Henry mouthed to Joe as soon as he caught his old friend's eye.

Joe didn't answer verbally but made a show of clearing his throat and bringing his fist up to his mouth. He then made a V shape with his index and middle fingers and held it upside down to form an A. Henry nodded his head just slightly to show that he understood before shifting his attention out the window, twisting his fingers together in his lap.

The van went over a big bump and it jostled him, shaking the thought out of his head. If he hadn't been so scared and adamant against facing his mistake, things would've have turned out differently. He and Nora wouldn't have been fighting as often as they had been and his only daughter wouldn't be a stranger to him. He just couldn't do it; Nora had asked him over and over again to bring Ellie and Averey out for a visit but he kept turning down the request. If only he was braver.

Not only would he have had his daughter in his life, but maybe his wife would still be alive. Henry gave a large shake of his head, aware of the attention he was putting on himself as he tried to clear that thought out of his mind.

Trying to move his hands and feet to adjust his sitting position, he quickly remembered that his feet were chained to the seat he was sitting on. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he kicked his feet, trying to get some range of motion. His knee started bouncing rapidly and he lifted his thumb to his mouth, biting down on the nail.

"Getting a little antsy," he explained to the men staring at him.

"Guess I understand," Officer Corwin said with a small shrug. Henry watched as the officer's hand moved from the holster on his hip and back into his lap. He had to hold back a scoff; as if he'd be stupid enough to try and escape a moving vehicle. Then again, somehow Leonard Snart and Mick Rory were able to; it was the hot gossip around Iron Heights for a while. "Wouldn't know what I'd do if my kid was in the hospital." He made a clicking sound with his tongue before his lips pulled down just slightly into a frown. "And you had to deal with that for nine months."

"Don't remind me," Henry muttered. He shifted his gaze towards Joe who held his gaze for a moment before turning his head to look out the window.

"Hang in there," Officer Corwin said with a slight nod. "From one parent to another."

"Thanks." Henry gave him a small smile and turned his head to look out the window again.

Businesses, cars, and people shot past at a blur and he tried his hardest to remember everything he saw. He didn't know what an Uber was, or where all the payphones went, and why businesses were advertising odd square shaped black and white looking…_things _on their windows; things sure had changed in 14 years.

A short drive later, they pulled up to Central City Hospital and Henry was guided out of the van and into the medical building. He was shielded on either side by the police as he was walked up to the front desk of the hospital. The woman behind the counter set a cool gaze on him as she was told why they were there.

"I have to go over a few things with you for protocol," the woman said, reaching for a clipboard. "Only a few visitors allowed in at one time; unless you're family." She looked him up and down. "Which I have been told you are. So, privacy curtains _must _remain open, you may not exchange any items or clothing, there is to be _no _physical contact—" Henry felt his eyes widen. This was his kid for crying out loud! "I don't make the rules, sir, I just enforce them. You don't have any barred items on your person?"

"Where am I going to keep it?" Henry asked with attitude, glancing down at his jumpsuit.

The woman slowly blinked. "You'll be watched at every moment?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," Joe replied. "I understand all the rules and regulations of this hospital and as a public servant to this city I uphold the duty of keeping each and every other patient and visitor in this facility safe."

"Follow me."

Henry shuffled up beside Joe as they were guided through the elevator doors. She quickly rattled off reminders of the rules before the elevator doors slid shut. Henry sighed as he slumped into the corner. "Thanks," he said to Joe, "for getting me out as soon as you could."

"You don't have to thank me, Henry," Joe replied, clapping him on the shoulder. "You know that."

"Still." Henry shook out one foot then the other, trying to get some circulation back to his legs. "What happened?"

Joe let out a long sigh. "Some accident involving glass or something," Joe explained. "Averey was bleeding out enough to the point where she needed a blood transfusion from what I understand." Henry looked over at him in alarm. "She's ok; Barry donated his blood and she's stable."

"Oh." Joe led the way around the maze of halls before they came upon a closed door. Joe quickly rapped on the door with his knuckles before he grasped the door handle and pushed it open.

The first thing Henry heard when stepping into the room, apart from the chains around his wrists and ankles rustling, was the beeps from the heart monitor. It pulsated steadily, matching the rate his heart was ramming against his ribs. Next he spotted a woman and a younger looking man conversing with Averey who sat cross-legged on the bed in the center of the room, a flat, rectangular shaped…_thing _in her hands. Then he spotted his son who was sitting by her bedside, moving a chess piece on the board that sat on the small rolling table near Averey's elbow.

"Check mate," Barry announced.

"_What?" _Averey shrieked, turning her attention to Barry who laughed punching the air in triumph. "I was _so _close." She put her face in her hands and let out a groan. "I thought I had you; your king was mine!"

"I tried to tell you not to put your rook there," Barry said, leaning out of the way of her slap. "You have to try and see your opponents move before they make it." Averey let out a fake laugh as Barry set up the game again.

"Cisco. Caitlin." Joe held the door open for Henry to shuffle into the room. "You mind waiting in the visiting area while their father visits?"

"Of course not," the woman, Caitlin, said with a smile. She gathered her coat into her arms and lifted her purse up to her shoulder. She walked over to Henry and gave him a bright smile, one that he felt himself returning. "It's nice to finally meet you, Dr. Allen. I'm Caitlin Snow, and that's Cisco Ramon; we helped Dr. Wells at STAR Labs when Barry was in his coma."

"Thank you for helping my son," Henry said, blinking his gratitude. "I'd give you a hug but…" He trailed off, sliding his gaze down to his cuffed wrists, "I'm not allowed."

"That's all right," Caitlin patiently replied. "I'm sure I'll get that hug from you one day. Come on, Cisco, we don't want to get in trouble."

"I'm coming." The younger looking man, Cisco, said, following her to the exit. Henry watched, feeling a smile of amusement come to his face as Cisco turned back to his daughter and said, "And make sure you watch them all. I'll expect an in–depth discussion about those movies." He pointed a finger at her. "And I'll know if you didn't watch."

"Don't worry," Averey replied with a smirk, waving the rectangle thing in the air. "I'll remember every detail." She paused, giving him a suspicious stare. "Just as long as you didn't put _Princess Bride _on here."

"Who me?"

"_Cisco_! I've already seen it twice."

"It's a classic movie, I had to do it."

The two STAR Labs employees bid their goodbyes as they headed out of the room and Joe quickly followed them, explaining that he was going to give them their privacy. "I'll just be outside," he said, locking eyes with Henry as he passed. No one said a word until the door closed with a click behind him and it was Henry that had to say something first.

"How're you doing, Slugger?" he asked, shuffling further into the room.

"I'm fine, dad," Barry replied, pulling a knee to up to his chest. "How are you? Are you still in the infirmary?"

Henry lifted a hand to touch the puffy skin around his eye. It still hurt to press on it, but not as bad as it had been before. "I'm all right," Henry replied, dropping his arms. "I'm more worried about the two of you. I heard one of you were in the hospital and got permission to see you. With Joe's help of course."

Henry looked around the room for a chair and Barry jumped to his feet, retrieving it for his dad. Feeling the chair hit the backs of his knees, Henry lowered himself to a seat position. "I'm glad I can finally see the both of you without bars involved. I wish I could actually give you a hug or something."

"Yeah, me too," Barry said, sitting back down in the seat he had momentarily abandoned. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing better," Henry replied, nodding his head. "But, I should be asking you that, Averey."

"I can finally get out of here soon," Averey replied. "I had a bit a fever after the procedure so the doctors wanted to make sure I was ok."

"That's good." Henry nodded his head, looking around the room.

"I'm planning a karaoke trip in celebration of it," Averey added and Henry chuckled.

"Make sure you sing Bon Jovi for me," Henry suggested.

Averey hiked an eyebrow. "First, you don't sing Bon Jovi, you belt it," she said and put her hands up defensively, "and I don't have the best singing voice."

Henry gave a small smile. "I'm sure you'd do fine," he reassured her. He could feel Barry's eyes on him; staring, silently demanding him to talk. Henry let out a long sigh. It was now or never; he knew he had to explain everything to the two of them. "I didn't expect things to turn out this way with the two of you, but I'm glad you were able to find each other. Averey, I want you to know that I've never been more happy to know that you've come to Central City and that you found me and Barry."

"I don't know if I could ever accurately explain why I chose to act throughout all of this. I don't know if you'll ever accept my viewpoint and why I chose to act the way I did but…" Henry swallowed thickly. "Nora and I were young when we got married and decided to start a family. We were constantly asked when we were going to bring the first grandchild into the family and that put a lot of pressure on us as we tried to figure out our finances and when was the best time to try for kids. A few months went by and we were frustrated that nothing was happening and we were taking our anger out on each other."

"I was still trying to maintain my usual working schedule, but we could both see it wasn't working but we didn't want to take even partial blame for it. One night after a big argument, Nora was about two months pregnant at this time, I went out with Nora's friend—Averey, your mom; they met while studying abroad and she was visiting at the time, in fact you were named after Averett University, where your mom did exchange here in the states—and made a mistake and got Ellie pregnant."

"So I'm a mistake," Averey said quietly.

"_No_," Henry instantly replied, feeling his chest tighten. "No, I don't think you were a mistake, sweetie. I think how everything happened was a mistake but _you_ are not a mistake." He bowed his head for a moment. "I never wanted you to ever feel that way, but I know with how I acted you very well could have. But, um, so I told Nora what I had done and it put a strain on our relationship, but we talked about what was stressing us out and why we were mad and things went smoothly from there and Barry came along."

"I always knew of you, Averey, and I supported you and your mom as best I could. I told Nora about you when you and Barry were almost three, because Ellie had asked if our kids could meet. She thought it was important that the two of you got to know each other even if us adults were uncomfortable with it. Nora was open to having you guys over, but I wasn't. I had a great reputation as a doctor and as a doting husband and I knew if it got out, all of that would change. That was why we were always fighting that day if you remember; I didn't want to be faced with a bad choice I made in the past. That's why I didn't tell you, Slugger; I didn't want you to know that your dad wasn't 'the best dad in the world' as you had always told me. I didn't want you to view me differently; as someone who failed at being the best dad and the best husband to your mom."

Henry let out an odd laugh. "Fourteen years later, and I'm still messing up. I asked Averey not to tell you so I could finally take responsibility for it and I still tried to get out of it."

He lifted his head and silently regarded his two kids, who had tears brimming their eyes. For 14 years he didn't see one, 25 years he went without seeing the other, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing them together. He noticed they were sitting the same way, leaning forward slightly, arms loosely crossed over their midsections, legs locked.

"The thing about having kids is that once they're born, your life is all about them. I saw the two of you playing with Iris all those years ago and I just sat and watched you all for hours. I could beat myself up about how I treated Nora, but that didn't matter; you kids growing up and being happy mattered. I knew Ellie was happy to have you, Averey, and I knew you were happy where you were living, so your mother and I decided it was better not to disrupt that life for you, just like we didn't want to disrupt Barry's life any more. Then our lives got busy, and things happened, and one day I have my daughter visiting me at Iron Heights. What I regret the most out of all of this was that the two of you were never given the chance to grow up with each other. I am so sorry."

Henry allowed himself to start crying, letting out years and years of gut clenching guilt and sorrow. His shaking shoulders were suddenly steadied by the feel of arms wrapping around him. "Don't cry, dad," Barry said into his ear. "I get it now; I understand."

"We love you, dad," Averey added into his other ear.

Henry used his shoulder to wipe at his eyes, feeling more liberated than he had in the past fourteen years behind bars. "What is that by the way?" he asked, nodding towards the bed at the abandoned piece of technology.

"Oh, it's a tablet," Averey explained. "Cisco put a lot of movies on it for me to watch because I'm missing Cisco Cinema." Henry gave her a confused look but she missed it. "But you can do a lot with it; watch movies, TV, play games, read books—"

"Uh-huh, so what is this Cisco to you?" Henry asked, giving Averey a curious look. Before she answered, he angled his head to look over at his son. "And how are things with you and Iris?" Barry made a face, but didn't say anything. "Can I give you some fatherly advice? I know I'm years overdue."

As his kids got settled, waiting to hear what it was he was going to say, Henry stretched his legs out in front of him. "This worked well with Nora," he explained once he was sure he had their attention. "ChapStick is your friend." He chuckled at the looks of bewilderment he got. "I'm serious; ChapStick is the way to go. Just put some on, go for it, and its smooth sailing." He pressed his palms together and slid one hand over the other as far as the handcuffs could take his hand. "Trust me."

"Just think of all the dad-advice you can give us once you get out," Averey said, exchanging a 'He's-out-of-his-mind' look with Barry.

"Aw, Averey, I don't want you to worry about that," Henry said, shaking his head. "I've been trying to tell Barry—"

"You _will _get out, dad," Barry insisted. "We'll find a way."

Henry let out a sigh. "Thank you," he said giving his kids a smile. "But there's not much you can do, ok? I've accepted that." He bobbed his head over and over again. "But, I'm glad to know people out there are doing what they can to help." He looked over at Barry. "Like the Flash for instance. I heard the woman who broke in and out of Iron Heights was caught. Word got to the Flash somehow that Parker had a big debt on his hands and he caught him."

"Really?" Barry asked, staring back at him.

"Yeah, and you know," Henry said, turning to face his daughter, "he's got someone working with him now. Hard to distinguish her accent. Rumor has it that she goes by the name Visionary." He lifted his hands and pointed towards Averey's head. "I guess a lot of women are wearing their hair like that nowadays."

Averey reached up a hand and patted at her hair. "Reckon so," she replied. She then widened her eyes at him. "You don't think it's me do you? Come on, dad, I'm too clumsy to be a superhero."

"Yeah and I'd just tell you," Barry added, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging.

"Well," Henry said, twisting his mouth to the side, "just be careful out there. I may have been locked up for 14 years, but I know that the world has become a dangerous place." He looked back and for the between Barry and Averey who looked like they were trying hard not to look at each other. "I'm proud of you two and how you've grown up."

"So…are you younger or older than me?" Barry asked, quickly changing the subject as Henry easily noticed.

"Younger." Averey gave Barry a sour look as he smiled. "Unfortunately. By three months." She crossed the room to her bag that was sitting on top of the desk in the corner of the room. She removed her camera and adjusted the strap, telling Barry to sit next to Henry. "Smile, I want to take a picture."

"Oh, you don't want a picture of your old man looking like this," Henry protested. Averey waved her hand in the air as she leaned in on his other side, passing the camera to Barry. "Well, if you insist." Henry gave a bright smile (finding it easy to do so) as Barry used his long arms to hold the camera in front of them and snapped the picture.

Sooner than he wanted, Henry found himself being led out of Central City Hospital. "Joe," he said to his friend, "I know I can't do much, but I want to lessen the medical bills somehow. I want to help. Do you know how much we're looking at?"

Joe blinked. "It's already been taken care of," he replied.

"I don't understand," Henry said.

Henry watched as Joe's lips pulled down in the corners. "I was going to offer up a payment plan myself," he explained, "but the doctors had told me all the medical bills have already been paid for by Mercury Labs; more specifically, a Gavin Turner. From what I understand, he's one of Averey's roommates."

Henry felt his eyebrows scrunch together. "Where would he get that kind of money?" he asked.

"I'm wondering that myself."

* * *

**A/N: **Phew! That was a long one, huh? This was an instance where I felt like I had to keep everything I wrote in this chapter. Usually, I can see where I can take things out or move them around, but I just had the feeling it all needed to stay. (Except for an Averey/Eddie part that's moved to the next chapter). I had to put that Dawson's Creek reference in there for John Wesley Shipp's character. When I first planned out this story, I actually had part of this reversed; I was going to have Averey decide to want to ask Cisco out after he got attacked by Hartley, but then this is how it turned out instead.

I have a Barry and Averey one-shot coming up soon to go more into their reactions and accepting that they're related and why their situation was handled the way it was. **Note: **It is now up called _Like Brother, Like Sister. _I might turn it into a one-shot collection for the two of them.

_Kellie: _Yes! Belle Reve really gets pushed forward with the next chapter; that story arc is connected with Firestorm and the time travelling episode, and my interpretation of the second half of the Flarrow crossover.

_Ethan: _Averey's 9 months she doesn't remember and why the Royal Flush Gang wants her will start to be explained in the next chapter, but the small moment you saw between her and Gavin at Mercury Labs really pushes that forward as you'll see.

_Babyj: _I was thinking of having Barry and Averey be at odds with each other, but was thinking more in the mindset that while Barry would be mad, a part of him would try and understand on his own why things played out the way they did. I feel like Barry is the type to want to understand why people act the way they do.


	27. At Least I'm Good For Something

**-Chapter Twenty-Seven-**

**"At Least I'm Good for Something Around Here"**

* * *

"Ahhhh!"

Barry rolled through the air before hitting the ground with a crash. Slightly dazed, staring up at the sealing, he watched the black and pink streak that was Averey go flying over him before she collided with the flooring as well. In an instant, he was back up on his feet, facing the metal contraption that threw him.

A pulse of blue light glowed in front of his face seconds before he heard the familiar cracking of ice forming on the ground. A strip of the slick surface appeared between himself and Averey as they dove out of the way of the blast.

"For real?!" Barry gasped, looking over at Cisco who smiled proudly standing a safe distance away, holding a large control box in his hands. "You gave him ice powers?"

"And fire," Cisco replied, his smile widening. Barry watched as he made a show of lifting a finger and circling it in the air before pressing another button. Hearing a low hum, Barry turned back towards the tricked out fighting dummy and watched two spots on Girder's newly built eyes glow a bright orange seconds before it started shooting fire. "I've taken a little bit from each metahuman you've fought so far and added components to Girder for the ultimate fighting machine. The Heat and Cold guns, too. But not Peekaboo's. I haven't exactly figured out how to do hat yet."

"Lucky for us," Barry commented with a sigh before rolling out of the way as Cisco controlled Girder left and right, shooting fire at the two Metahumans. There was a loud _clang _as one of Averey's boomerangs collided with the side of Girder's head, bouncing off the metal and clattering to the floor.

"Just don't burn anything down," Barry could hear Caitlin warn over the roaring of the fire. "And don't get hurt."

"We're fighting a man of steel," Averey replied, sliding forward on her boots, grabbing her fallen weapon as she slid past the metal practice dummy. "No pressure there, yeah?"

Barry surged out of the way of the blast of fire suddenly aimed in his direction and skidded to a stop gasping for air. Looking around the room, he grinned as he spotted a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. "Ave," he said and the ocular metahuman turned her head towards him, a grin appearing on her face (eyes hidden behind her veyesor) when he nodded in the direction of the red can hanging on the wall.

Rushing forward, Barry landed rapid fire punches on the steel practice dummy. It certainly held the same punching power it used to when Barry had used not too long ago, but Barry was faster now. As he darted around the steel contraption, Averey darted around him, landing a few strikes of her own with her feet and elbow blades—easily maneuvering around him thanks to her quick eyes. Girder's arms swung back and forth, its body rocking backwards and forwards with more mobility than before.

"Yow!" Barry watched as Averey stumbled away, grabbing at her lower back.

She let out a loud curse as Girder's arm swung backwards, catching her in the back, knocking her over. Rolling onto her back, she kicked up to her feet and shoved the two blades back together to form her boomerang and started repeatedly alternately throwing her two boomerangs at Girder, catching them as they bounced back towards her to throw them again.

"Hey, watch the hardware," Cisco complained, frantically maneuvering Girder trying to catch the two metahumans off guard. His frown deepened as Averey continued to throw the boomerangs at the metal creation. "Come on, seriously."

He slapped his palm down onto the button to produce flames and Barry smirked. _Perfect. _He zipped across the room and grabbed the canister, throwing it as hard as he could across the room. Everything slowed down as Averey caught both of her boomerangs before setting one on the ground and splitting the other to make her elbow blades. Pulling her arms back over her head, she swung downwards, the metal of the blades easily cutting through the material. Barry rushed forward and grabbed the two halves of the canister and threw them towards the fire as the pressurized powder was expelled into the air, extinguishing the fire.

Barry ran quick circles around Girder, aiding the dissipation of the smoke and dust in the room. He heard his name being called and spotted a boomerang flying towards him. He snatched it out of the air, separated it into blades and stabbed them into the hard body of the practice dummy. He felt his body spasm as a shock coursed through him and with a loud _pop_, Barry was suddenly airborne before he fell to the ground in a heap.

"Ow," he managed to get out before the pain hit his body. He let out a loud groan, rolling onto his side, wrapping his arm around his chest and stomach. His muscles felt heavier as he suddenly felt weaker of energy. "Cisco!"

"I tried to warn you," Cisco called. Barry could picture the cringe on his friend's face.

"Let me guess," Averey said, gasping for air from where she was lying on the ground. "Blackout?"

"Awesome defense mechanism, right?" Cisco asked, sounding pleased with himself. Barry cracked open an eye and saw the bright smile on his face. "With this baby you'll be fighting fit no problem."

"'Awesome' wouldn't be the first word I'd use," Caitlin said, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Are you two ok?"

Barry closed his eyes again and let out a breath of air. His strength was coming back already. "Fine," he called, lifting a hand in the air. Taking in a breath of air, he slowly lifted himself to a seated position before he got to his feet, removing the hooded mask of his suit. "You ok?"

"I'm good," Averey said, nodding her head as she got to her feet. She hung the veyesor around her neck before removing the gloves from her fingers. "No worries."

"Still, I'd like to check the two of you out anyway," Caitlin insisted. "Come find me once you've changed out of your suits."

Averey nodded upwards at Barry. "Nice work."

Barry had to admit that they had good team work at the end. Before that, it felt like they were just doing the best they could, trying to stay out of each other's way. In fact, that's how it felt the second he stepped into STAR Labs that morning at Cisco's call. He thought now that things were out in the open it'd run kind of smoothly and it did for the most part outside of the scientific building—they were friends—but once they got inside the building, things were more serious and there were more important things than the two of them.

Cisco was excited to show them something new he had been working on for a while and Barry was surprised to see the new and improved Girder. Not only did it actually resemble a human with its eyes, snarling mouth, and moveable wrist and hand joints, but it had more components to it instead of just being able to swing punches.

"You too," Barry said, offering her his hand. Averey took it and he helped her to her feet.

"You could've at least stabbed him in the back like a normal person," Cisco commented as he shut Girder down before walking over to the machine to retrieve the weapon parts left behind.

They were _mostly _serious.

"I'll keep that in mind," Barry said with a tired laugh. He stretched his arms across his chest before removing the gloves from his hands and wiggling out of the top portion of his suit, sighing as the cool air of the building washed over his bare chest. "That's some really nice work, though."

"Thanks," Cisco said with a smile. "It's taken me a while to get it working right, but I thought it'd help. I mean most metahumans we've caught but somehow Snart and Rory did break out of that transport vehicle. So this could at least help if they turn up again."

"Smart thinking," Averey praised.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm good for something around here," Cisco said with a shrug of his shoulders. He then gave her a thumbs up. "You did good today."

"Cheers," Averey said with a nod of thanks, "but Barry did most of the work." She held her gloves under her arm as she wrapped her fingers around the handle of the blades that stuck out of Girder's chest and with a hard tug, removed it from the metal chest plate before retrieving the second one. "And you." She gave him a smile. "Couldn't do it without these. You really impress me with what you can do."

"Oh, it's nothing," Cisco replied, returning her smile. Barry watched as Cisco reached out his hand to lean against Girder, missed, and stumbled to catch his balance. "I mean, thanks. I mean, you're impressive, too."

Barry suddenly felt like he was the third wheel, or like a parent supervising two awkward kids on their first date. Nevertheless, he gave Cisco an encouraging nod and thumbs up when the engineer made a face at his blunder.

Averey gave a laugh as she grasped the second blade before hooking the two of them together. "Thanks," she said. "I'm going to have changed and have Caitlin look me over." She looked over at Barry. "Do you work today?"

"Yeah, my shift starts in about an hour," Barry replied with a nod of his head.

"Ok, I'll catch you later then," Averey said before lifting a hand in the air in a wave to Cisco as she headed towards the doors to the training room. "Thanks, Cisco."

"Yeah, no problem," Cisco said after her. As soon as she left the room laughter erupted from Barry and Cisco groaned, striking his forehead against Girder's chest. "Ow."

"Did you want me to leave?" Barry asked.

"Something tells me that wouldn't have helped," Cisco commented as he rubbed at his forehead with his fingers.

"So…that date thing isn't going so well?" Barry asked.

"Did that look as painful as it felt?" Cisco asked, making a face. Barry didn't say anything and Cisco groaned. "I knew it."

"Why don't you just ask her?" Barry asked.

"I haven't even thought of what to do," Cisco protested, turning towards the metal machine. He unfastened the brakes on the wheels and pushed it across the room to its holding spot. "I can't ask her out and not have any ideas.

"Look, Cisco, I don't know too much about her," Barry said, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging, "I did learn recently she's ruthless at Monopoly, but, she seems to like being around you. I'm sure she'll enjoy whatever you, or the both of you, come up with."

"That game was banned at my house, it'd cause so many fights," Cisco said with a short laugh. His smile faded just slightly. "I just don't want the date to suck because she'd actually be able to remember it for the rest of her life."

Barry opened and closed his mouth. That was a good point. He had a few bad dates under his belt and while he tried his best to forget they ever happened, they were the kind of thoughts that would randomly pop into his head and keep him up at night.

"That's a good point," he admitted. Seeing the look on Cisco's face he quickly added, "But I doubt that's going to happen. But, I'm the worst person to ask; I've barely been on a date in ages."

"Why not?" Cisco asked, looking at him curiously. "I mean you're…you."

"Perpetually late?" Barry asked with a half smile. Cisco shrugged. "I've just been busy with police stuff." And he hadn't ever seen himself with anyone but Iris. He probably hadn't had a date since high school if not early in college.

All of his studies took precedence if he wanted to get through courses to land the job as a crime scene investigator. He was one of "those" students that would stay up late studying and religiously went to teacher's office hours to make sure he got top marks in everything. If only he knew that there were no classes that would ever prepare him to look for anything metahuman related.

"Yeah," Cisco said with a sigh as he pulled his hair back from his face. "I'll figure it out. Go let Caitlin take a look at you; I don't want you to be late for work when you have the chance to be there on time for once."

"Ha, ha," Barry laughed before rushing out of the room. After he quickly changed, got Caitlin to check out his injuries (in which she told him that it would take a couple hours for his bruises to heal) before he rushed into work. He sighed at the stack of paperwork waiting for him on his desk in his lab and got straight to work.

"Hey, Bare," Joe greeted him stepping into his lab.

"Hey, Joe," Barry said, looking through the stapled stack of papers in front of him. "Do you need me out at a crime scene 'cause I'm up in my eyeballs with this right now."

"Eddie is buried in paperwork and witness statements today, trying to see if there's anything else about the Iron Heights break out," Joe replied with a shake of his head. A half smile appeared on his face.. "As if you couldn't just speed through all of that in four seconds flat."

Barry bobbed his head back and forth. "True," he replied. "But, I heard you coming and thought you were Captain Singh or Eddie." He lifted his hands and clasped them behind his head. "What's up?"

"Well, Iris's article in the paper has got me thinking," Joe replied.

"Wait…Iris has a byline already?" Barry asked, his eyebrows lifting. "I mean, I know she helped with that special edition paper about the press conference and Mercury Labs and everything but…wow."

"Well, according to Iris, it got cut and then placed here to wait for some of the heat to die down, but it's pretty interesting," Joe said, reaching into the breast pocket of his coat. He carefully unfolded the newspaper clipping and handed it to Barry.

"'Catch Them If You Can: The Two Central City Streaks'," Barry read aloud. "Who is it that has been saving us in the blink of an eye? Many have wondered if this 'Streak' was really one of us and how they got to be the way they are." Barry quickly read the rest of the article, his stomach dropping at the mention of the Reverse-Flash and a list of areas he had been spotted around town. There was even a blurb about her own experience with the yellow suited speedster. "Oh no."

"And one half of me is proud of what she's accomplished," Joe commented, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's extremely well written, too."

"It is," Barry agreed. He laughed triumphantly. "And she thought she couldn't get something out of a journalism course."

Joe's eyebrows lifted and he moved to cuff Joe on the side of the head. "So, _you're _the cause of all of this," he said. Barry laughed as he brushed Joe's hand away. Joe let out a sigh as he "First the blog and now this."

"Look, Joe, I tried to talk her out of putting her name on that blog," Barry insisted.

"I know, I did too," Joe replied. He let out a sigh, his mouth forming a half smile. "I should've known she wouldn't listen, though. She's always been that stubborn."

"So, what idea did you have?" Barry asked, going back to Joe's previous point.

"Well," Joe said with a sigh, moving to sit on the corner of the desk in the center of the room, "a long time ago, you said you saw lightning in your house, right?"Barry nodded his head.

On the one hand, he didn't blame anyone for not believing him. He was a kid at the time and it was unheard of to have lightning swirling in a house and spotting a man in that light. Nor could he explain how he got so far away from his house that night. But on the other, it was extremely frustrating that _because _he was a kid, no one would take him seriously. Who could make up a story like that?

"The night that the Reverse Flash got loose in STAR Labs, Cisco had told me something that I kind of put to the back of my mind for a while," Joe explained. "He said, he noticed that there was red and yellow lightning coming from both yours and the Reverse Flash's suits. The same colored lightning that you said you saw in your house that night."

Barry dropped his arms down to his lap as a breath of air rushed out of his mouth. "So there were two speedsters there," he said quietly. "But only one slowed down enough for me to see them." He shook his head back and forth. "But why me? Why my mom?"

"I think the more important question is, why is he still around now?" Joe asked. "And why did he wait 14 years to show up again? I mean, clearly he didn't get his powers from the particle accelerator."

"I don't know," Barry replied, shaking his head back and forth. "It just…god, it keeps getting more confusing."

"No one ever said figuring this all out was going to be easy," Joe reminded him, reaching out his hand to muss Barry's hair. "What's important, Barry, is the fact that you're keeping so many people in Central City safe. He took the newspaper article and waved it in the air. "Safe from people like this; from the people who abuse their abilities."

"Yeah."

"I was thinking that, now that we know more about metahumans, we'll actually know what to look for in your old house," Joe explained. Barry stared at him. "I want to re-open your mom's case, and find out exactly what happened that night. But, Barry, I won't do it if you don't want me to."

"I haven't been there since…you know," Barry trailed off for a moment shaking his head.

He had no idea that the steps he took as he was escorted by Joe out of his house that night would be the last time he would ever be in his childhood home. He had stayed with the Wests ever since and anything he needed from his home was brought over by Joe or some legal person. Even when his house was cleared out and put up for sale, he had Joe look at and take pictures of everything in the house for Barry to decide what to give away and to keep in the West attic.

"Hey, I'll be there," Joe said, putting a hand on Barry's shoulder. "We can take it one step at a time." Barry lifted a hand to his mouth, blinking repeatedly. "We don't have to—"

"No," Barry said, looking up at his foster dad, "no, I want to."

"Are you sure?" Joe asked.

"Joe, this is the _first time_ anyone is going in there and actually looking for evidence of what happened that night," Barry insisted. "The way I saw it, the way I _know _it happened." He swallowed the lump that lifted in his throat. "If this can help my dad, I'm all in."

Joe scrutinized him, no doubt using his detective skills to make sure he was telling the truth. He seemed to accept Barry's answer as he gave a nod of his head and a quiet, "Ok." He ran his fingers over his beard. "The thing is, we're going to have to keep this as quiet as we possibly can."

"Why?" Barry asked.

"Well, were going to need help from STAR Labs," Joe explained, "because I don't know what we have in our arsenal to help us out."

"That's true," Barry nodded.

"And despite STAR Labs helping with Snart and Rory, Captain Singh still isn't that trusting of what could come out of the laboratory," Joe explained with a brief roll of his eyes. "And I don't want to involve too many people, so if you could ask Cisco to help out, I'd appreciate it."

"You don't want Dr. Wells to help?" Barry asked.

Joe hesitated for a moment. "I think we should wait until we get something concrete," he suggested. "Why bother the man with guesses and theories?"

"He's a scientist Joe, that's basically what we do," Barry pointed out to him.

"Be that as it may," Joe said after a moment of silence (and Barry smiled at being proven correct), "I don't want this run the risk of coming to the attention of Captain Singh and bringing some more attention to STAR Labs right now. There is even more of a bias issue now than it was years ago; did I ever tell you I had to go in front of a review board at the initial stages of your dad's case?"

"I had no idea," Barry said with a shake of his head.

"Many people on the force thought there was too much of a connection between our two families for me to be the head detective on the case," Joe explained, a sad look coming to his face. Barry had never seen the man cry, but he could feel the waves of guilt emanating from the older man's body. "Not to mention, that I had taken you in that night."

"But that's not fair," Barry protested.

"That's how things go sometimes," Joe said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"When were you thinking of going to the house?" Barry asked.

"As soon as possible. Tonight if I can," Joe replied. "I want to try and recreate what happened. I need to get permission from the new owner of the house, of course. I'm going to head over there during my lunch break."

"Good luck," Barry said, trying not to show his surprise or nervousness at how sudden this could happen. By the end of the day, he could be walking through his old house again. As Joe went to get back to work, Barry called out to him. "Joe, thanks for believing me. About what happened."

"Of course, Bare," Joe said with a small, sad smile "I'm just sorry it took me this long."

* * *

_"Of course, Bare," Joe said with a small, sad smile "I'm just sorry it took me this long."_

Harrison's mouth formed a line as he watched the video play on the wall in front of him. It was only a matter of time before someone started making the connection. Barry was a smart young man, but his emotions often got in his way. That was a leg up for him, however; the more Barry let his emotions get in the way, the easier it was to defeat him. It was all just a matter of knowing which piece to play next and here Joe and Barry were, leaving themselves wide open for a sneak attack.

"Gideon, play back 10:23:16," Harrison commanded, sliding his hands into his pants pockets.

"Certainly, doctor," the pleasant voice of the compute replied. The pictures of Barry Allen and Joe West rapidly moved as the video was rewound.

"Stop," Harrison commanded and the picture froze, "play."

_"When were you thinking of going to the house?" _

_"Tonight. I want to try and recreate what happened."_

Harrison smirked as the rest of the video played. "You'll get that and then some, detective," he said to himself. "At last, I get another chance." Despite the setback, things were running as smoothly as they could; no pun intended. He had Barry right in his hands and Mercury Labs was starting to tip just slightly; it wasn't going downhill just yet. There was still more he could do and _would _do.

"Is there anything else you'd like, Dr. Wells?" Gideon prompted.

"Save this video," Harrison commanded, snapping out of his thoughts. "And any other footage you may have captured since this morning, but don't stop recording." The video screen disappeared and a face appeared on the wall in front of him, silently peering at him, waiting for his next command. "Show me what's happening now in the building."

Two video feeds opened in front of him: one showing Cisco as he sang along to whatever pop song was playing on the small radio sitting next to him. A pile of Twizzlers sat next to his arm which he would occasionally blindly reach for before popping it into his mouth. He was working on a large something in the lower levels of STAR Labs. In the other, Caitlin had a stopwatch hanging around her neck and a notebook in her hand as she watched Averey take a memory test on the computer. A grid of blue squares sat on the computer screen before a few were shown to be white for a few seconds before returning to its original blue in which Averey then had to click on which squares were white.

"That's all I need from you, today," he said after a moment of silence.

Without another word, Harrison placed his glasses back on his head and turned to leave the room, making sure he was settled comfortably in his wheelchair. He wasn't exactly happy to keep himself confined in the chair, and there were plenty of times where his legs got restless so he had to excuse himself to stretch his legs. As if he could ever forget to keep the strength in his legs regardless if he was actively using them or not.

Dr. Snow would not let him go a day without reminding him it was important to keep up with his cardio as much as he could. Not that he was complaining too much when she offered to help him. What self-respecting man _wouldn't _want to have a beautiful woman helping him with certain exercises?

_That has to be from _the other guy, he thought to himself as he moved through the curved halls of STAR Labs. Every once in a while he would be confused to find himself thinking or acting a way that wasn't his own. Like whatever feelings he felt for Dr. Snow. Overtime he has certainly grown to respect her work in the field, but he knew those feelings and thoughts weren't from his own mind.

Getting attached (he hated that) to either of the two scientists was not what he had in mind when opening STAR Labs. At the same time, he knew he couldn't get where he was right now without either of them. They certainly had the talent anyone would be fighting to get. Maybe that was why he was so worried when he had heard that they were abducted. The sweat inducing heart pounding fear he held in his chest, he never wanted to feel ever again. Emotions were just too messy.

"Dr. Snow, while I certainly wouldn't wish to interrupt anyone once they're on to something, would you mind giving us a few minutes?" Dr. Wells asked as he rolled into the Cortex, nodding towards Averey, who turned away from the computer, and rubbed at her eyes as she heard his voice.

"Of course," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. She quickly jotted down a few notes before making her way out of the Cortex.

"I don't want you to be pushing yourself too hard during recovery," Dr. Wells explained, folding his hands in his lap. "Although, I can assume with your newly enhanced healing ability it wouldn't be too much—even if you can't heal as fast as Mr. Allen."

"I'm fine," she insisted. "The training this morning wasn't even bad and the bruises have already begun healing." She lifted her right sleeve to reveal a black and purple splotch on her arm. "I'll be ready if anything comes up, don't worry."

Dr. Wells pressed his lips together. Ever since the Australian girl was introduced to their work at STAR Labs, he had seen little bits of a sort of rebellion with her. First it was breaking in to begin with, but it really started with stealing a piece of equipment to try and fight Bivolo all by herself. She wouldn't have ever been in the hospital if she didn't try to work against the natural flow of STAR Labs in working together.

"Yes, well, in the meantime, I'd like for you to take it easy and make sure you'll be in top form for when anything else does come up," he insisted. Averey looked like she was going to protest for a moment before giving a nod of her head. _Smart move. _If there was something he didn't like, it was insubordination. Hartley was proof of that (amongst other things.)"So, I would like something to be done of you." _So I can get you out of the way for a while._

"What's that?" Averey asked, looking curious.

Harrison turned his wheelchair away from the Cortex and started moving through the halls of STAR Labs to reach the elevator. Averey's shoes squeaked on the floor as she hurried after him. "You majored in history at University and interned one of the branches of the National Archives of Australia, correct?" Harrison asked, peering up at the standing woman. Averey gave him a bewildered look.

"How'd you know that?" she asked.

"It's my job to know all I can about those I choose to trust," Harrison replied evenly, rubbing his thumb over the knuckles of his closed fist. "And those I see that have skills that can assist me."

"So, what am I helping with?" Averey asked.

"Do you remember what it was that you had asked of me when your first, uh, accessed STAR Labs?" Harrison asked, his lips lifting just slightly at the corners. "Not that it would be hard for you to recall."

"Well, I remember comparing it to dropping of the atomic bombs," Averey said, making a face. "I apologize."

"I've heard the event compared to all types of things at this point," Harrison said, waving his hand in the air. "The media has had a field day coming up with the wittiest monikers they can. I accept your apology and extend one of my own which I will not be insulted if you choose not to reciprocate. I did, after all, make a mistake that affected your life."

"No problems," Averey replied with a brief shake of her head.

"Really." Harrison made a clicking noise with his tongue as he released his grip on the control stick of his wheelchair, suddenly coming to a stop. Averey continued walking a few steps before she realized that he wasn't following her. Folding his hands in his lap, he scrutinized her. "You're really fine with what I have done."

"Yeah, well, I mean now I am," Averey said with a shrug. "I won't have to remember forgetting names and faces, or birthdays." A thoughtful look came to her face. "I wonder if it's considered cheating to have a photographic memory. I really could've used that in uni."

"You don't get success by slacking off," Harrison commented, his eyebrows twitching. "Hard work proves to be a good tool to have in your bag." He got to the point. "You asked if I had kept track of those who have shown instances of having astounding capabilities and I have not. I'd like for you to do that for me. Think of it as a history of the 'metahuman era', I suppose you could call it. Combining the results of tests that Dr. Snow has been keeping of just how much both you and Mr. Allen are improving with your abilities, this will allow all of us to see the grand scope of the outreach of the dark matter."

"I'll get started on it right away," Averey agreed with a nod of her head.

"Good." Harrison smiled. "In the mean time, if you need me, I am out running an errand."

"Shouldn't Caitlin or Cisco go with you?"

"I've had more than a year to adapt to what limitations I may now have," Harrison answered, "I'm perfectly capable of getting around on my own.

Moments later, Harrison wheeled himself into Dr. McGee's office, settling himself in front of her desk as she closed the door behind him. "A phone call would have sufficed, Harrison," she said in her usual cool tone.

"Yes, but you never know when people are listening in on our conversations," Harrison replied.

"That is true," Christina said with a hint of a smile of amusement as she settled into her dark cushy chair. "What, may I ask, brings you by? I have to say this year is the most I've seen you as of late."

"As I have previously explained to you, I want to ensure the future's technology as much as you," Harrison explained. "I understand that would be hard for you if Mercury Labs were to continue to be dragged through the mud. I had the unfortunate pleasure to read about you in the paper again this morning."

"Yes, well, bad press is good press is it not?' Christina asked, suddenly looking tired.

"Tina," Harrison said quietly, "I assure you, I had every intention to return that prototype to you. I may have found it a bit exhilarating to be competing with Mercury Labs, but I never wanted this to happen."

"Maybe not the old Harrison," Christina replied, looking him up and down. "But, I know you could do everything you could to get ahead." She shook her head back and forth. "You knew the risks of using that tachyonic prototype to lure this…Reverse Flash as they're calling him."

"As you knew the risks of creating the prototype to begin with," Harrison replied. He gave a slight bow, a small smile coming to his face. "Not to mention having the courage to be the first to do so. Let's not forget a few of your men have passed away as well, trying to keep the prototype safe."

"Are you any closer to finding the prototype Harrison?" Christina asked.

"Unfortunately not, but I did come to ask what you were doing with the prototype to begin with?" Harrison asked, tilting his head to the side. "We both know that this Reverse Flash was after the prototype for the speed he could achieve. So, what could you be working on?"

"I don't ask what projects you were working on, Harrison," Christina replied. "Or maybe I should have and maybe the particle accelerator would have been the success you wanted it to be."

Harrison pressed his lips tightly together, his fingers starting to throb with how tightly he was gripping the arm rests of his wheelchair. "I'm sure you'll understand that there are things that are out of our control," he said in a tight voice. Christina's eyebrows lifted but she did give a nod of her head.

"I apologize," she said in a quiet tone. "It is just a stressful time right now."

"I understand," Harrison replied. "But, if this Reverse Flash as your tachyonic prototype, there's so much he could do with it. So I ask, what was the project going to do? Now that its public knowledge that there are these two Flashes in town, people will be asking what we are going to do about it." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "STAR Labs did create this problem, and Mercury Labs could be put back on top if they fix it."

Christina stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I've never wished for more than success for the both of us," he insisted.

She was silent for a moment, twisting her mouth to the side before folding her hands together on the top of her desk. "As I had said, there was a gap in our research and testing in regards to the prototype and human involvement," she explained, "and we were working quickly through this prototype. But, our ultimate goal, after he initial mentions of "The Streak", as they were known at the time, was to be able to strip them of their abilities if he turned out to be a criminal."

Harrison slowly nodded his head as he listened to her explanation. _Interesting._

* * *

"Ok, so we had Clyde Marden, Danton Black, Kyle Nimbus, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory; despite them not being metahumans, Bette Sans Souci , Tony Woodward, Farooq Gibran, Roy Bivolo, Shawna Baez, Hartley Rathaway, and Ronnie Raymond," Averey listed aloud, repeatedly swiping her finger across the screen of the tablet she had balanced in her hand. "And of course, there's me and Barry. But out of all of those, six of them are dead. So, who do we have next?"

She had filled out the forms to the deceased or missing metahumans as best as she could. Information such as their name, their metahuman name, and when and where they were first spotted. There was also little tidbits of notes added as to how they were defeated, their last known location, and, for some, what their preferred order from Big Belly Burger was. Averey was confused as to why they even needed that portion and Cisco, who offered to help as Averey didn't know how to work the pods in the pipeline, had insisted he didn't want them to starve.

"Bivolo," Cisco replied from the control panel, pressing various buttons to switch out the pods in the pipeline to the next metahuman. "I don't think I need them now, but put down for him that I have to wear special glasses to make sure his abilities don't affect me. Averey gave him a stricken look and he said, "Don't worry; I factored that into the veyesor."

"Ok, metahuman number 007," Averey said as she flipped to his entry in the computer system. "We can get him to tell us what each color of his ability represents. And you named him Prism?"

"Which, by the way, is _so _much better than Caitlin's 'Rainbow Raider' but apparently, he prefers being called that," Cisco replied.

Averey looked up at him. "You can't give her just one?" she asked.

"She got that one," Cisco insisted and Averey rolled her eyes. "I do have to admit it's not bad, though." He peered at her as a hum filled the air as Bivolo's pod was called forward. "You going to be ok talking to him? Because, I know he has you basically seeing the Boogeyman everywhere you go."

Averey let out an odd laugh. "That's a good way of putting it," she said.

In all honesty, she had actually kind of forgotten about the Reverse Flash popping up everywhere. Unless he actually came in contact with her, she could never tell if the figure in front of her was real or not. Often times, she knew that his appearance coincided with her being whammied and his form manifested in times of great fear for her.

Insisting that she would be ok, the doors to the pipeline slid open and Roy Bivolo merely glanced in their direction as he continued his pacing around his pod. "Hey," Cisco called, stepping up to the window, "stand still so we can get a picture of you."

"It's not feeding time," Bivolo said, continuing to pace. "And I don't see any projectors or anything." Cisco quickly explained how he tried to keep the metahumans entertained with TV and movies. "What's going on?"

"Just let her take the picture," Cisco insisted.

Averey switched the tablet to camera mode and snapped the picture of the metahuman despite his sigh of annoyance. As the save picture switched to the live camera feed, Averey noticed the metahuman was staring straight at her.

"I remember you," he said, nodding. "You ran into me in the street." His eyebrows angled together just slightly. "I—what did you call it?" He looked over at Cisco.

"Whammied," Cisco replied.

Bivolo snapped his fingers. "Right, right, I whammied you," he said, nodding his head. "With…fear if I'm not mistaken. Purple." He tilted his head to the side. "How's that going for you? It's like your worst nightmare over and over again, huh?"

Averey silently passed Cisco the tablet, stepping up to the window. "You have no idea," she muttered and Bivolo laughed.

"You don't know what it's like to have these abilities," he said, shaking his head. "That's living a terrible nightmare. I can barely look at anybody without thinking I could mess them up for life."

"You had no problem doing that when you were robbing that bank," Cisco pointed out to him. "What did you need the money for?"

"He wanted to open up his own psychiatric office," Averey replied.

"That was part of the reason." Bivolo was silent for a moment. "I also want to look my wife in the eye again without worrying I'm manipulating how she acts around me," he replied. His lips parted into a half smile. "I always knew she had a fiery personality, but I had never seen her like that before. I always knew women were emotional, but I never knew it was possible to cause those emotions and have no idea what to do to fix it."

"Where were you when you were hit with the wave of dark matter?" Averey asked.

Bivolo snorted. "It's not the kind of thing your young ears should be hearing," he replied and Averey felt herself make a face. "When I was told that there was a way to get rid of these powers, I was all for it, but there was a high price to pay."

_Enough that a bank needed to be robbed_, Averey thought to herself. That sounded very familiar. "Who told you that you could be rid of your powers?" she asked and watched as Bivolo shook his head back and forth.

"I don't know," he replied. "They found my number and contacted me." He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead against the glass of his pod. "If I got all of the money, they would have told me where to go."

"Who?" she pressed. "A guy? A girl?"

"I couldn't tell, the voice was disguised, um, distorted," Bivolo insisted. "Almost robotic."

Averey's heart sank. The Royal Flush Gang. It had to be them. They hadn't gone out and did much since the leak had been pulled to the forefront of the news. All she had been doing lately was calling in threats to Mercury Labs—or reminders as she was told. Through all that, she had to make sure her voice was disguised and achieved it with the technological device Casey had built. Belle Reve had to be the location that he would have been directed to.

"They said that my abilities would help our country," Bivolo said with a shrug. "Whatever that meant."

_The room was dark as Averey woke out of a deep sleep. She moved to push herself up more into a seated position and found her arms stuck. Her wrists were bound at her sides. By what? She pulled and pulled, twisting her wrists this way and that to try and free herself._

_"She's awake. Patient 97326 is awake, trying to get out of her restraints. The serum is wearing off."_

_There was the sound of rapid footsteps, a jingling sound, and a loud _clank_ before there was the sound of something sliding along the floor. A bright light turned on and Averey instantly squeezed her eyes shut as a sharp pain burned the tops of her eyelids. Her jerking at her wrist restraints weakened as she felt her energy slipping._

_"Too much light! Turn it down!"_

_The light dimmed behind her eyes and Averey cracked them open to find men and women in lab coats standing around her. She was in a small room, three walls made off steel, a door of bars pulled back just slightly. She was in a cell. _

_ "Stop. Stop, Averey." A man's voice said, pressing down on her shoulders. "You have restraints on."_

_ "What?" Averey squinted at the hazy figure standing by her head. _

_"You were fighting with Dr. Hubbard," the man explained. "She was running your normal tests and you kept telling them to stay away from you. She had no choice but to sedate you."_

_Averey's eyes adjusted to the dark and she could see the outline of the straps that connected her wrists to the sides of the bed. "You're ok. You're here at Belle Reve. You forgot where you were for a minute, huh? Dr. Hale, you can take these off her, now."_

_"Yes, Dr. Caselli."_

_The sound of Velcro being ripped filled the room and she felt the tightness around her wrists loosening before they were gone. Sitting up, her head leaving the pillows, she rubbed her sore wrists. "Apart from lashing out, your tests had run smoothly and you're progressing well," Dr. Caselli explained n his smooth, even tone. "We've been keeping your reports updated and the General is happy to hear that you're thriving in this environment since you arrived a couple weeks ago."_

_"I was in the hospital," Averey said, staring up at the two men._

_"This is a hospital. They weren't equipped to help you there," Dr. Hale added, tucking the restraints under his arm. He crossed his arms over his chest. "They didn't understand why you kept falling unconscious whenever they practiced their standard eye dilation tests." He let out a pitying sigh. "The accident changed you; Averey. It's changed your eyesight and your memory as we have come to find out."_

_ "What?" Averey asked. "I don't understand."_

_"We don't exactly understand either, that's what the tests are for," Dr. Caselli replied. "We just know that you were one of the many injured after the particle accelerator was turned on. But, we want you to try out these abilities you have now. Get used to them. If they're something you don't wish to have anymore, then we can get you back to living a normal life again. It's your choice. Either way, you'll be doing a great service to your country."_

"Ave!" That was Cisco's voice. "Averey!"

Averey blinked rapidly, feeling herself being shaken. "What?" she asked. "Sorry?"

"You spaced out on me," Cisco replied, looking concerned. "You ok?" Averey nodded her head, noticing that Bivolo's pod had been sent back. "He wasn't giving us any more information. You ready for the next one?"

"Yeah."

/ / /

_After having stolen the ring, all the glass started exploding around us. We managed to get out in time relatively unscathed—and we would later find out we had some injuries—but I couldn't help throwing up from guilt. Dr. Wells had done nothing but save my brother's life and try and regain the trust of Central City. He had been nothing but nice to me in the few interactions I've had with him and still I did something like this to him. He doesn't seem like an outwardly sentimental person, but it's a wedding ring we're talking about._

Pulling her fingers back from the keyboard, a couple days later, Averey pushed her glasses up her nose. She had definitely had more than a few interactions with him at this point, but knew that she couldn't explain that without letting it be known that she was a metahuman.

_In the wake of the Mercury Labs info leak, we haven't gone out and done much. Maybe it's to keep our heads low. I don't ask a lot of questions I just do _

Noticing the movement of her bedroom door, Averey quickly saved the blog post, and triple checking it was in fact private, she logged out of the publishing site. Closing the lid of her computer, she looked up at Casey as she stepped into her dark room.

Her roommates could go on thinking she was writing a blog post as long as she wanted; the longer the better. The truth was, ever since she had been branded and officially brought into the Gang, Averey had been keeping track of exactly everything she had taken part of. It was some insurance that gave her a bit of relief from the guilt she felt even if anyone uncovering her written work would have repercussions on her own involvement.

"There's a police detective at the door looking for you," she announced.

Averey had stared at her for a moment before she recoiled realizing what was being said to her. "Sorry?" she asked.

"Police," Casey had repeated, giving her a pointed look. "At the door. Wants to talk to you." Averey would have given anything to not ever have to hear those words again. "Gavin says to get rid of him."

"I'll bet." Moments later, she was at the door, nearly pulling it shut on herself once she spotted Eddie standing on the front porch. She had greeted him with a bright, yet over the top, "Hi."

"Hey," Eddie had replied.

"How did you know I lived here?" Averey asked.

"Joe had mentioned that he dropped you off once," Eddie explained and Averey nodded her head. How could she have forgotten? That was the same night she had been introduced to Gavin, Brent, and Casey's true colors. He slid his hands into his jeans pockets and Averey took note of how casually he was dressed. "I wanted to see how you were doing since you got released from the hospital. I mean, I know you're well enough to kick butt in Monopoly, but I didn't get the chance to ask you." He was silent for a moment. "I'm not keeping you from anything am I? Iris was working late and I just got done with my shift and thought I'd stop by."

"Oh. No." Averey replied with a shake of her head. "But, I'm fine. Doing much better than I had been."

"I'll bet," Eddie replied. "I had my appendix taken out when I was a teen."

"Well, I appreciate you coming to see how I was doing," Averey said, trying to prompt him with his words to leave. She could feel her roommate's eyes burning into the back of her head but she didn't want to be so forward into just telling him to go.

"I saw an ice cream place not too far from here," Eddie prompted. "My treat. I heard that it's the dessert of choice after getting your appendix taken out."

"Isn't that your tonsils?" Averey asked, confused.

"Ok, it was _my _dessert of choice," Eddie corrected himself and Averey laughed.

"Hold on, let me get my coat," Averey replied, pushing the door shut. She hadn't planned on leaving the house, but it was better than staying there. First being at Mercury Labs with three workers from STAR Labs (which was made worse as none of them had said anything about it yet) and then the police showing up at the door? She was bound to be bombarded with questions the second he left. At least this way, she'd have some time to think about how she was going to answer any questions they'd ask.

Minutes later, they were seated at the ice cream shop, Sundae's Coming. "You invite me out for ice cream and you're going to get something as plain as vanilla?" Averey asked as she lifted a spoonful of her ice cream to her mouth.

"Can you even call that ice cream?" he asked, motioning towards her Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough covered with chocolate syrup and Oreo bits. There was barely any portion of the white ice cream visible. "Are you sure you can eat all that?"

"If it's one thing I love about America, it's your portion sizes are bigger than back home," Averey said with a happy smile as she worked out a chunk of cookie dough. "Thanks, I appreciate this."

"No problem," Eddie replied. "Iris doesn't have a problem that you're going out for ice cream with someone else?" Averey asked. "She was the one who suggested it," Eddie said with a shake of his head. "And she would have come too if she didn't have to work. She's paying for it."

"So when you said 'my treat' you were just being nice?" Averey asked.

"Believe it or not, you don't get paid a lot as a police detective," Eddie joked. His smile of amusement then shifted into a curious look. "Why?"

"You get kind of weird whenever Iris and Barry do stuff together," Averey replied with a shrug. "I was just asking."

Eddie chuckled, bowing his head slightly. "That's before I was reminded, in no uncertain terms, that they're just friends," he replied. "I know they are extremely close but I have to trust her. And I do."

"That's good." Averey licked the chocolate off her spoon before wiping her mouth free of chocolate.

Barry and Iris were closer than close; they had to be after living together and being best friends for years. After knowing what Barry had gone through in his life, it was nice to know he had someone close to him to help him through it all. At the same time, she knew that that was hard to compete with. She may be blood related to Barry, but Iris has been more of a sister to him over the years.

"I saw that you put your contact info down as an alternate contact for me at the hospital." Eddie paused for a moment, his spoonful of ice cream hovering in front of his lips. "Barry didn't know the answer to some of the questions on the health forms and the nurse asked me about it when I was checking that all my information was correct."

"I promised you that I'd help you in any way I could," Eddie replied before sliding the dessert into his mouth. "That doesn't stop the second we cross city lines." He swallowed his mouthful and licked the ice cream remnants from his spoon. "I don't break promises." He clicked his tongue and said to himself, "Which reminds me that I need to get those tickets for Valentine's Day."

"It bothers you when I bring up the arrest doesn't it?" she suddenly asked, tilting her head to the side. Eddie's eyebrows angled towards each other just slightly. "Even when I joke about it?"

Eddie let out a sigh as he looked around the ice cream shop. "I know people around the precinct joke about me and how I keep track of how well I do and everything, but that's only because I _really _hate being reminded of things I messed up on," Eddie explained after a moment of silence. "I know I messed up with how I handled your arrest, but I've been trying to make it right."

"You have," Averey insisted and Eddie twisted his mouth to the side. "Seriously. There's no way I can really thank you for how much you've helped. I probably would still be in jail if you hadn't gone out of your way to help me find a good lawyer or anything." She lifted her hand in the air and drew and X over her chest. "Promise, I won't bring it up anymore, yeah?"

"I just don't want the arrest to be the basis of our friendship," Eddie said, smacking his ice cream with the back of his hand. "That's all. I mean, I'm more than just Eddie the detective."

"Yeah, I'm starting to figure that out," Averey replied with a half smile.

Truth be told, she didn't know much about Eddie apart from him being a cop. She knew that he could put his foot in his mouth every once in a while, and that he was pretty bad at Monopoly but that was really it. Flipping it around, he didn't know much about her, either.

"Have you ever been here before?" Averey asked after a stretch of silence. Eddie shook his head. "Me neither. You've lived in Central City this whole time and you've never been here?"

"You've lived down the street from this place the whole time and _you've _never been here?' he countered.

"Touché," Averey laughed. "I shouldn't be so surprised, right?" She gave him a teasing smile. "I mean, you barely ever stop working to see what's going on around you."

"I've seen it from my car as I go to crime scenes," Eddie protested.

"That's pathetic," Averey laughed.

"Ok then, hot shot," Eddie replied through his laugh. "Next time, you pick the place." He ate another spoonful of his ice cream before glancing over at her own bowl.

"Don't even think about it, mate," Averey said, watching him. She pointed her spoon in a mock threat at him. "Don't touch my ice cream."

"Now I know you're really related to Barry," Eddie said, lifting an eyebrow. "He's very territorial over his French fries."

"That too!" Averey insisted as her phone started vibrating in her pocket. "I'm not the one who ordered plain vanilla." "Just one bite?" Eddie asked. "I can't even have one Oreo crumb?" "No!" Averey checked her first phone and saw nothing, and then reached for the black phone in her other pocket. The letter 'K' stared her in the face as it continued to ring in her hand. She jabbed her thumb into the red circle in the bottom right hand of the screen and swiped it across the front of her phone, stopping the call.

"Did you need to take that?" Eddie asked.

"I didn't recognize the number," Averey replied with a shake of her head. "So how do you feel about bowling?"

* * *

**A/N: **And now we're finally into the time travel episode. This episode really drives a lot of arcs forward including the second half of the Flarrow crossover, bringing in Belle Reve and Mercury Labs to round out Firestorm's arc, and to learn what happened with Averey. It's all interconnected and plays out across the two different timelines.

_Ethan: _ Yep, it was a Dawson's Creek reference. I love John Wesley Shipp in both paternal roles, I think more so for the Flash, though. I thought Averey wanting the picture was a nice touch especially since I hadn't shown Averey's photography in a bit. Joe's detective skills really come in handy with what's coming up.


	28. Home is Home (Part I)

**-Chapter Twenty-Eight-**

**"Home is Home Wherever You Can Find It"  
(Part I)**

* * *

"Aren't you coming to bed?"

Eddie stretched his arms over his head, leaning back in his chair. When did it get to be past midnight? Maybe all the sugar from that ice cream in his body gave him more energy. "Yeah, I'm coming," he replied, getting to his feet. He gave Iris a smile as he turned to face her. "Sorry." Clicking off the lone light above the couch, he shuffled through the dark apartment, using his heel to push the bedroom door shut behind him as he crossed the threshold.

"Just can't stay away from work, can you?" Iris asked with a knowing smile as Eddie flopped down onto the bed. He gave a tired, yet apologetic smile as the memory foam stated wrapping around his body. "I don't blame you."

"Mmmm." Eddie could feel all the energy flowing from his body and closed his eyes.

"Are you still mad at me for the article I wrote?" Iris asked.

Eddie's eyebrows angled towards each other as he lifted his head to look up at his girlfriend. "What makes you think I'm mad?" he asked.

"Because you never really said anything about my article," Iris replied, twisting her fingers together in her lap. She sat against the pillows resting against the headboard. "And we still haven't really talked about it."

"I'm not mad," Eddie replied, pushing himself up onto his forearms, "I'm immensely proud of you for what you've been able to accomplish." He tilted his head to the side just slightly and admitted, "And it's pretty cool to see your name as the author."

"I couldn't have done it without Linda's help," Iris said with a bright smile. "She's really been helping me get settled and understand how a newspaper really works."

"And I'm glad you're fitting in and everything, I'm just worried," Eddie continued. A line formed in the center of Iris's forehead as she gave him a confused look. "I mean, this Reverse-Flash guy attacked you at Jitters because he knew who you were. This is putting your name out there on an even grander scale." He ran a hand over his face. "I'm just worried that something could happen and I won't get there in time."

"Oh, babe." Iris moved from her seated position to lie down on her stomach as well, facing him. She grasped his hands, entwining her fingers through his. "You don't have to worry about me."

"I always do," Eddie said with a one-sided smile. "Ever since I got your purse back for you that night." He gave her a teasing smile. "Even though you didn't particularly like me at the time."

"Your story got crazier every time you told it," Iris protested, her voice getting slightly higher pitched. Eddie made a face but didn't deny it. "I mean, all you did was stop a purse thief. You made it sound like it was a spy mission."

That wasn't all he did. He wouldn't say he fell in love with Iris the moment he saw her and realized the recovered laptop belonged to her, but he did decide then and there that he wanted to get to know her. He decided that he never wanted to be the reason why he saw the look of despair and sadness on her face. Then she lit up when he presented her computer bag to her, despite going back to her usual cool demeanor with him shortly after, made him take notice.

"Well, now, it's my mission to keep you as safe as I can," Eddie replied. Iris let out a sigh through her nose before leaning forward and kissing him. His eyes fell shut as he kissed her back. Her touch sent a shiver down his spine despite the burning sensation left by the touch of her fingers on his face, neck and shoulders.

"I appreciate it," Iris said as she pulled back from him. Her hair framed his face, tickling his skin as she pressed his forehead against his. "But, I can take care of myself, babe. My dad taught me well."

"I know, that's one of the many things I love about you," Eddie replied with a short nod of his head. He closed his eyes as he took in her scent. "If there was one thing that made me become attracted to you, it's how independent you are and how passionate you are about everything you put your mind to."

"That's what journalism is for me right now," Iris explained.

"So is my work," Eddie replied.

Iris lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, stroking the curve of his cheekbone with her thumb. "I know," she replied, a hint of sadness coming to her eyes. "I know. I admire your work ethic and I know you just want to keep everyone safe."

"I was thinking though," Eddie said, sliding his hand over hers, gently squeezing it, "we could work together with this Reverse-Flash thing. We can both keep Central City informed and to feel safe whenever they go outside. You inform people in their homes, and I'll work with the CCPD to track this guy down."

"Does that mean I can use you as one of my sources?" Iris asked and Eddie chuckled before kissing her on the forehead.

"Of course," he replied with a smile. "To an extent. If there's something I can't tell you, I can't tell you." He ran a hand over his face, before propping up his chin with the palm of his hand. "I love you and all, but I'm not about to face the wrath of Singh for opening my big mouth."

"That's no fun," Iris commented with a fake pout. Eddie lifted an eyebrow, his lips lifting upwards into a smirk before he rolled her onto her back before grasping her around the waist, pulling her flush against him.

"Can I tell you something?" Eddie asked lifting a hand to brush her hair off her forehead, a smile tugging at his lips as her belly laugh subsided. "While I'm glad to know that there's someone like the Flash out there that is willing to save everyone in Central City that needs it, and I know I wasn't supportive of him at first, I'm glad to know that there's someone else out there that can be there for you when I can't. But, I hope one day, you'll let me be your hero."

"You already are," Iris replied, her eyes filled with such admiration that he felt his heart start racing. Almost as if he had run just as fast as the Flash. And he still didn't feel like much of a hero.

He knew there were a few times Iris had met with the illustrious Flash late at night. How else would she have gotten exclusive comments and information on her blog? He was mad about it at first; he could see how much she admired and was passionate about this man, whoever he was.

He just wanted her to look at him that same way.

/ / /

Averey coughed so hard, she thought she was going to vomit. Her stomach was on fire from Casey's punch. She had barely stepped through the front door of her house before she was dealt the blow.

"I'm sorry," Casey said into her ear as she grasped Averey's arm, pulling her through the foyer and into the living room before she was forced into a seat. Averey's cheeks repeatedly puffed out as she tried to catch a breath of air despite her abdominal muscles spasmed.

"Wha…re you doin'?" Averey asked, looking up at Gavin, Brent, and Casey as they stood in a half circle around her.

"Just welcoming you home," Gavin replied, with a fleeting smile. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What were you doing at Mercury Labs with Dr. Wells, Dr. Snow, and Cisco Ramon."

Averey sucked in a deep, wheezing breath of air, managing to get the wind back in her lungs to take in a normal breath of air. "Support," Averey replied, massaging her stomach. "I t—told you that. I wouldn't tell them anything…anything 'bout Mercury Labs or anything you're doing at B-Belle Reve."

Casey blinked, her head twitching from side to side in a quick shake. Brent opened and closed his mouth. A muscle in Gavin's jaw started jumping. All while a tense silence suddenly fell across the townhouse. Eyes widening, Averey quickly realized she had let something slip.

"I mean—"

"You remember," Gavin said, interrupting her. His knees cracked as he slowly lowered himself into a seated position on the edge of the coffee table, facing her. "When did you start remembering? How much do you know?"

"Not a lot," Averey replied.

"So not much more than B on any given day," Gavin said with a smirk, shifting his gaze over to Brent who rolled his eyes. Casey let out a laugh and Averey was surprised to find herself, chuckling, too—before she started groaning in pain as her sore abs moved. How could they be so secretive and intense and the next minute be like the fun, jokester roommates she had moved in with. "What else do you know?"

Knowing it wasn't a request but more of a demand, Averey told him everything else she remembered; starting from being hit by the wave of dark matter to begin with, being tested on by Dr. Hubbard (with people not needing to worry about PTSD anymore), and finally waking up at Belle Reve to begin with. As she talked, she realized that it was only a sliver of what had happened in those nine months.

"The doctors at Belle Reve, Dr. Caselli, Dr. Hale, and Dr. Hubbard said that they could get rid of my powers if I wanted," Averey explained, her eyebrows colliding with each other. "But, I don't understand, Dr. Hubbard said I wouldn't remember anything."

"Your abilities are much more profound then we realized," Casey said, shaking her head back and forth. She sounded amazed. "You really _can _remember everything, can't you?"

"Maybe not yet," Brent said, running a hand over his face, "but apparently, she will." He clasped his hands behind the back of his head and paced a few steps before facing Gavin who was staring at Averey and hadn't moved. "We're going to have to tell her; she's going to remember eventually."

Gavin was silent for a moment longer before he pressed his lips tightly. All the color disappeared from his lips and his fingers curled tightly into fists. He let out a curse, but nodded his head, fixing her with a hard stare. "Do you have upwards of $150,000?" Averey's eyes widened, but she didn't answer in her shock. "Do you have any way of making $150,000?"

"I…no," Averey replied, shaking her head back and forth. "Not with the minimum wage I'm getting. Which, by the way, I think sucks. Do you know how much more baristas, and waiters could get if you stopped having them live off tips?"

"You're going to need as many tips as you can get if you want to even put a dent into paying off that debt you have to the Royal Flush Gang," Gavin replied.

"But, I—"

"Hospital bills for the first time you were hospitalized; paid by us, your stay at Belle Reve; paid by us, the first few months of your rent, paid by us, and your recent hospital stint; again, paid by us," Gavin interrupted her, counting off on his fingers.

"You managed to whittle that down a little with some _deliveries _you made for us," Brent added, "but it's not enough." Averey stared at him confused for a moment, then remembered the packages. All the mail he had sent out for them, and the ones she picked up, too. That whole time, she was helping them. "Not with this new addition to your debt."

"You can work it off, but it's going to take time," Casey continued the explanation. Averey looked up at her and Casey sadly stared back at her, apologetically. She was the only one showing any emotion. "That's where Belle Reve comes in. We've been finding and offering other metahumans like you money to test on them and give the results we gather to General Eiling. They can keep the money, or if they choose as we've learned to accomplish through testing, be rid of their powers forever."

"What does General Eiling want with these powers?" Averey asked.

"An unstoppable army," Gavin replied. "Just think; the US would be an unstoppable force. But, he hasn't gotten any political figure to give him the go ahead with this plan. Until he managed to convince Mayor Bellows that something like this could help him become re-elected for another term." He slowly started to smile. "With eyesight like yours, we wouldn't miss any target."

Her head was spinning. It was all too much at one time. But, she had to get them to keep talking. She had to remember it all. "How'd you all get involved with this?" she asked. "Mercury Labs—"

"We had been working at Mercury Labs long enough to know that they house the equipment needed for our experiments," Brent said. He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not uncommon for people like us to often be found working late."

"We kept an eye on STAR Labs' creation of the particle accelerator knowing that there were a lot of unknown variables being used." Casey's voice was soft, compared to Gavin and Brent's matter of fact tone of voice. "After the accident, we got someone at Belle Reve to hack the systems at all the hospitals in Central City and monitored all the data for strange occurrences."

"Like a girl who passed out every time her optic nerves were routinely checked," Gavin added. "Or a man who would flat line every time there was a black out. Anything we found and thought we could use, we'd take them to Belle Reve." His lips twitched. "Of course, there are many who haven't shown their abilities until much later; we reach out to them, and give them the option to be rid of their abilities. Only all this research takes a lot of money, so we knew we had to find a way to get it to continue what we were doing."

"That's why you were robbing banks and stealing from people," Averey said quietly. She jumped to her feet, ignoring the searing pain in her stomach. "You made me steal from people! And threaten them! Dr. McGee has done nothing but try and live her life doing what she loves and you treat her like this?"

"Dr. McGee," Gavin said, getting to his feet, "has a lot at stake and she knows what we're capable of. She gives us the space we need to work, and nothing goes wrong."

"She wouldn't agree to that," Averey said, shaking her head. "Dr. McGee is smart, she's—"

"Just as easily manipulative as the next person if you know what you're doing," Gavin cut her off. "And if you have the means of allowing said person to not remember making such an agreement." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you remembered the night of the Jitters robbery, yet? Or is that still a gap in your memory."

"You…you injected me with something that night," Averey said, her voice shaking. "And the only other time I haven't remembered something was…when I was in Belle Reve." The serum. She remembered a voice saying the serum had worn off as she was waking up. They always injected themselves with it before moving out on a big hit. "I've been taking it this whole time."

"It's easier to create an alibi for yourself when you don't remember being at the crime scene in question," Brent said, scratching the back of his head. "We've had to use it on Dr. McGee a few times to make sure things were going the way we needed it to. There's no medical repercussion to it. You just don't remember what you were doing at the time." He lifted a hand in her direction. "That's clearly different in your case."

"I can't believe you'd do all this," Averey said, shaking her head back and forth, feeling tears come to her eyes. Her chest heaved as she tried to keep her voice steady and keep her breathing steady. "I thought you were my friends."

"We _are _your friends," Casey insisted. "We gave you a place to stay, we—"

"Why'd you even wait this long? To bring me in; why'd you wait?"

"Ave, I'm so sorry," Casey said, taking a step closer to Averey. Averey stumbled over her chair as she backed away from the blonde, nearly losing her balance. "We wanted to know if we could trust you after you got out of Belle Reve. You had done bigger stuff there, but out here, it's different. That's why you had level two and three duties. We knew we could use your powers to our advantage on the ground, but we didn't need more people until the first King, Queen, and Jack were arrested."

"Wait, 'bigger stuff'?" Averey asked, locking in on those two words. "What do you mean 'bigger stuff'?"

"Your photography skills were a big help. Look, we're wasting time," Gavin suddenly announced, "We have to make a hit tonight." He fixed Averey with a leveling gaze. "In future, don't ever ignore my calls. You don't want to put your family in any more unnecessary danger."

_More_? Averey slowly shook her head back and forth. "No," she said, her voice cracking. "No. You're lying. You can't do anything to them—you haven't done anything to them."

Gavin lifted his eyebrows before reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. Tisking, he tapped his finger against his phone before turning it around to face her, a shaky image appearing. Averey squinted, but recognized the color of the Iron Heights jumpsuits. Loud cheers burst from the phone as an inmate was shoved into the center of a circle before he was punched across the face.

_Dad. _Averey's lips formed the words, her heart pounding in her chest. She stopped herself from saying the word out loud as she watched Henry get beaten. She hadn't heard anything else about Henry in Iron Heights. This was why he was sent to the infirmary. "How'd you get this?" she asked, her eyes still on the screen.

"That doesn't matter," Gavin replied, stopping the video. "The fact is, that I can get this done." He crossed the living room to the bookshelf and moved some books aside. Reaching to the back he removed a tin container and lifted the lid to remove four syringes. He passed two out to Casey and Brent before handing the last one to her.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Averey lifted her free hand to feel for the injection site and set the needle tip into the hole in the skin on the back of her neck before pushing the plunger with her thumb. Shuddering as the serum coursed through her veins, her eyelids fluttered. Her vision started to blur at the edges, slowly creeping in until there were only pinpoints of clarity in front of her. And then her whole vision was covered as if there was a filter put over her eyes.

"Let's go," Gavin said, smiling in satisfaction.

* * *

"Mercury Labs is building a particle accelerator?" Cisco, Caitlin, and Averey asked in unison days later.

"I didn't say that," Dr. Wells replied, slowly blinking. "If I had to, I wouldn't call it that." His lips twitched and he made a face as if he couldn't believe what he was going to say next. "It's more of a…_de_celerator."

"Booo," Cisco said at his joke, giving a thumbs down. Caitlin elbowed him in the side, and he spotted a hint of a smile on her face as Averey snorted. He crossed his arms over his chest, all joking aside. "Damn, that's shady."

"When were you going to tell us?" Averey asked.

"Exactly at this precise moment," Dr. Wells replied, leveling her with a stare. "After I worked out for myself what exactly they were creating."

"Oh."

"From what Tina had told me, the project came to be shortly after Barry started working as the Flash," Dr. Wells explained, his mouth forming a thin line. "Like you, Cisco, they didn't know if Barry was a good or bad person and wanted to ensure that there was a way to put a stop to him. In regards to your comment, it's human nature to try and outdo others—in fact, _Discover Magazine _just put out a publication covering this topic. It's a really interesting read, I suggest you pick up a copy."

Clearing his throat, he folded his hands in his lap. "Tina and I have been competing against each other for years; in a friendly manner, of course. At times, admittedly, not too friendly as the pressures of science and the drive of uncovering some magnificent discoveries was too much to bear." He briefly closed his eyes, catching himself of rambling. "I'm not too surprised of her actions. After all, why wouldn't you try and see if you could succeed where others failed?" Cisco felt himself nodding.

That was all they were setting out to do in the first place; to succeed. No other laboratory could, or even tried to create a particle accelerator that not only worked, but was created in as short amount of time they had created theirs in. Even now, despite the bad press, Mercury Labs was still _the _scientific organization. Even standing at 9 plus floors above the city (in comparison to STAR Labs that chose to be built _into _the ground), they seemed to tower over and cast a shadow on them and their hard work.

_Just keep reminding yourself that what you're doing is helping everyone, _Cisco thought to himself. Sure, they caused the metahuman problem in the first place, but they were working to make it right. That was the most important thing.

"So what should we do?" Caitlin asked.

"What _can_ we do?" Averey added.

"Continue on like the capable scientists and engineers you are. We've set out to help Barry increase his speed and that's what we'll continue to explore," Dr. Wells replied, removing his glasses from his face. He rubbed at his eyes with the side of his thumb before replacing the lenses on his face. He gave a smile. "After all, without that tachyonic particle, they can't do much."

Cisco was sure Dr. Wells would have thrown his head back and given an evil laugh if this were some sort of sci-fi movie. Maybe even add in some lightning and thunder sound effects while he was at it. He just seemed a bit too…_happy_ that Mercury Labs couldn't move forward with their project. A part of him was too, he supposed. It was cool being part of the number one laboratory in the state, let alone in the United States. I mean, who didn't feel a little delight in hearing that an enemy was having a hard time?

Caitlin started a new training technique with Averey-in which she would ask the ocular metahuman to pick a card from a deck and memorize it before returned it, and as the cards fell, Averey would watch and tell Caitlin when to stop, after seeing her card and declare which number card in the deck it was—as Cisco headed down to his workshop. Not that he was getting much work done.

Before Dr. Wells had called him into the Cortex to discuss his meeting with Dr. McGee the day before, he had gone down to delivery breakfast to the captured metahumans. As usual, Hartley had a few choice words for Cisco. It was as if he couldn't go a minute without putting him down. Cisco was confident in his own work, but it just got tiring after a while. He got enough of the put downs at home, he didn't need it done at work either.

"So this is where the magic happens, huh?"

Cisco looked up at Averey's voice. How much time had gone by? He looked around the cluttered room, suddenly a tad self-conscious at how messy he kept the place (an organized mess to be exact), and annoyed that he had let Hartley stay in his mind for so long. Did he get any work done?

"Yeah," Cisco replied, turning around in his chair to face her. "This is where I build all the toys."

Averey laughed. "You have your very own Santa's workshop down here," she commented, "good thing, too. I don't like the cold that much; Caitlin keeps her office freezing."

"She says it helps her concentrate, but whatever," Cisco said, waving his hand in the air. "I'm sure Ronnie had no problem warming her up." Guilt hit him in the stomach. Ronnie would be back at STAR Labs if he hadn't been stupid enough to let Hartley out of his cell in the first place. Uh, Martin Stein, or whoever he was. There had been sightings of the "Burning Man" around town according to Iris's blog, but any form of contact set up just came to a dead end. "What's up?"

"Caitlin is going over results of my tests and I was calling down to see if you wanted to grab something to eat," Averey replied, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "You weren't answering, so I came down."

"Oh, yeah, I've just been, uh," he drummed his fingers on the table and felt them hit something flat, and noticed a tablet under his fingers, "working on this database Dr. Wells wanted. Checking what room temperature the metahumans preferred and all that. Even Hartley can turn something like that into a battle of wits."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the guy fancied you," Averey commented. Cisco's head shot up. He used his feet to turn the swivel chair around to face her. "He's gay, yeah?"

"Riiight," Cisco slowly replied.

"So, it's, like, basic kindie logic; the more you torment someone the more you like them."

"I don't think Hartley is capable of loving anyone more than himself," Cisco said with a snort. "Anyway, I'm not that hungry and I didn't really get anything done so, I'm going to pass."

"You?" Averey asked. "Pass on eating? I barely ever see you without you chewing on something."

"Yeah, I just bought a new bag of candy," Cisco said with a half smile. "I'll be fine."

Averey huffed as she walked over to his chair. Grasping the back rest, she started pulling his rolling chair away from his desk. "Ladies and gentleman, the ride is now in motion," she said in her best announcer voice as she pulled him towards the exit. "Please keep your arms and legs in the tram at all times. We are now leaving the area—dude, you got off the tram."

"What are you doing?" Cisco asked as he stood, turning around to face the Australian girl.

"That's dangerous, Cisco," Averey cried. "It's like, a kajillion watt volts. Bzzzt. Dead Cisquito." Cisco gave her an odd look. "I heard Hartley call you that. I meant to ask what it meant. I thought it was a joke, like he was calling you a mosquito or something."

_Like that makes it better. _Cisco's gaze darkened. "Not what you think it means," he replied. "And if you know it bothers me when he calls me that, why did you?" Averey frowned and Cisco scratched at the back of . "It means 'Little Cisco'. I used to like being called that by my mom, but then my brothers called me that all the time and Hartley and…"

"You're upset," Averey pointed out. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean it."

"That's ok," Cisco reassured her with a fleeting smile. "You didn't know."

She was silent for a moment before brightening. "Come on with me, anyway," she said. "I am not going to let you spend another second feeling sorry for yourself."

"Where are we going?" Cisco asked, starting to feel himself smile. Her cheerful attitude was contagious and the thought of spending some time alone with her wasn't too bad, either.

"You'll see," she sing-songed. "But, it's not in walking distance."

"Ok, then let me get my keys," Cisco said, setting the tablet down on his workspace. "Um." He turned in a circle. "That is, if I can _find _them."

"Already got 'em." Averey grinned as she reached into her pocket and pulled out his keychain filled with keys and a Storm Trooper and Darth Vader helmet shaped keychain. She spun the lanyard around her finger and lifted her eyebrows in a "How do you like me now?" kind of way.

"What, you're a pickpocket now?" Cisco asked, patting the pockets of his tan pants. Wallet? Check. If only he hadn't run out of his pocket breath spray. Not that he'd really need it. But it did come in handy after eating Mexican.

"Something like that." Averey's smile faded slightly. "I kind of learned it somewhere." She crossed her arms over her chest. "They were on the counter. Let's go."

"Let me just go tell Dr. Wells and Caitlin where we're going," Cisco said, motioning for her to wait. He had the feeling that no matter how much he protested she was going to keep insisting he leave. Something told him that he wouldn't be able to resist for long. As he stepped back into the Cortex, he watched as Averey carefully slipped her boomerangs into her bag before closing it.

"Just in case."

Minutes later, they were driving through the streets of Central City, heading towards the bridge that connected it to Keystone. He had been following her directions to get out of the city as soon as they got into the car—with her embarrassingly poignant comment, "Wow, your car really is as messy as Caitlin says, isn't it?". Averey had spotted that fact more than halfway across the STAR Labs parking lot and despite his moving his junk to the backseat and trunk, it was a thought that was stuck in the back of his mind. She didn't seem to be too bothered about it apart from that one comment, but he couldn't help but worry. After quickly switching through radio stations and commenting on how depressing it was to hear about all the crime that was on the rise in the city, Averey had found his CD case and marveled at all the 90s CDs he owned.

"OK, this is the true test of whether or not we can be mates," Averey said from the passenger seat of his car. She twisted in her seat to face him; eyes shining mischievously. She had his CD case open in her lap. "Everything rests on this decision. Are you ready?"

"Ready," Cisco replied as he came to a stop light at the edge of Central City.

"Ok; *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?" Averey asked.

Cisco laughed. "Oh, snap, you're putting me on the spot," he declared. "This could get me in trouble if I don't answer correctly." Averey started humming the _Jeopardy _theme. "Don't rush me; this requires a well crafted answer."

"Mmmmmhmm."

"Ok, well they both have pretty sick harmonies," Cisco said, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. The light turned green and he directed the car across the "Both groups have great performers. Backstreet Boys have amazing ballads and *NSYNC do have iconic dance moves. I don't think I could choose."

"Good answer," Averey replied as they came to the other side of the bridge. "Take a right up here."

"Ok," Cisco said as he put on the turn signal before pulling at the wheel. "You know, Keystone has always been this close, but I've never really stopped to visit."

"I loved living here." Cisco didn't have to look at her to know she was smiling. "It's barely that far from Central City, but it feels like a whole different world."

"Before or after the metahumans?" Cisco asked.

"Both I guess."

"I mean, Keystone doesn't have anyone as awesome as Team Flash in it," Cisco said with a grin. "Or someone like me making all the cool toys."

"That's true. There's nothing in this world like Team Flash." Cisco glanced over at her and watched as she scratched at the side of her head, her lips pulled back into a small smile. "Or you. Take a left up here."

Cisco quickly shifted his gaze back to the road and jerked the wheel to the left, wincing as he heard a long car honk behind him. "Crap. Jesus freaking Christ!" He made a face when he spotted the driver behind him giving him the finger in the rearview mirror. Averey tilted her head back and laughed. "I'm glad you find this so funny."

"Your cursing is," she replied as he laughter died down. "Oh, I used to work at that studio."

"At—" Cisco quickly glanced over his shoulder before putting his eyes back on the road. "Zoom a la Mode?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you get into photography anyway?"

"Ha." Averey laughed quietly. "Would you believe because I wanted to prove to my mum that I saw what I saw that night? That I saw the Reverse-Flash?"

"Actually, yes."

"They're letting me use the studio again pretty soon. There's this lady that comes in to get coffee most mornings and she has a cute little boy named Brady. Her name is Cadence, a reliable customer—anyway, she asked me to take pictures of her son for her. Keystone has some of the best landscapes I know so I suggested coming here. Plus, they have some equipment I don't. Oh, and Iris's cousin, Sage, is letting me take her senior pictures, too."

"Do they do it all digitally or develop in a dark room?" Cisco asked.

"Digitally mainly, but they do have dark rooms for anyone that wants to develop old school." Averey suddenly pointed in front of her. "Park right here. We're here."

"Where is here?" Cisco asked as he pulled into the parking spot she indicated. He shut off the car and removed the keys before climbing out of the car. After hurrying to lock the door and close it, he rushed after Averey who was already halfway down the block. "Where are we going?" He got his answer when Averey pushed open a glass door and stepped into a building whose walls were lined with shelves of clay bowls, cups, plates, and animals. "We're going to paint pottery?"

"It's one of my favorite things to do when I had free time," Averey replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She made a beeline for the banks and grabbed one before setting it down on the table. "What do you all say? 'Don't knock it 'till you've tried it', yeah?"

"I'm not very artistic," Cisco said, making a face as he looked around at all of the pottery.

"I don't believe you," Averey bluntly replied, looking over at him. "You have to have a creative mind to come up with the gadgets you can create." She put a hand to her hip. "Also, I reckon you play an instrument or two."

Cisco blinked in surprise. "How do you know that?" he asked. Lifting an eyebrow, Averey grabbed his hand—a shiver rolled through his body as goosebumps appeared on his arm—and turned it around to face him, palm up to take in the calluses on the pads of his fingers and the palm of his hand. She was good. "I play a little bit of the piano and the guitar. And percussion. And I sing. A little."

"I knew it," she said with a smug smile. "I thought you said Dante played the piano."

Cisco briefly closed his eyes, moving to find something to paint. Of course the conversation switched to his brother. _Everything _always went back to Dante somehow. Why would this be any different? Hell, even Melinda Torres could barely resist the charm that was Dante Ramon so why would Averey be any different? Then again she hadn't even _met _Dante. That wasn't much comfort. _Don't kid yourself, Cisco, _everyone _adores him eventually_.

"He does," Cisco finally answered. "But he's way better than I am." _As everyone has no problem reminding me. _He wondered if he should paint something for his brother, anyway. Then he could at least send a gift even if he didn't plan on attending the big birthday bash. He'd be falling back into his rightful place of the family anyway with the better gifts people would undoubtedly give him. What would be the perfect thing to send? _Maybe an elephant to symbolize his big, fat feet stomping all over everything I do._

"You know, you really make having a big brother sound like a bad thing."

Cisco blinked, pulling his hand back from the clay elephant he was reaching for. "I said that out loud, didn't I?" he turned to face Averey who already had her paints picked out and was seated. She glanced up at him from the blue paint covered brush in her hand and gave a slight nod of her head. "Sorry. That's not what I'm trying to do. I just…I really can't stand the guy."

"I can tell; your shoulders are practically in your ears," Averey said, her eyes drifting up and down his body as she examined him. "You look like you'll go Hulk and bust out of your shirt at any second." Settling on a cup, Cisco grabbed some paint and joined her at the table.

"I don't want you to feel like things can't work out between you and Barry," Cisco commented. Averey's eyebrows twitched towards each other, a confused look appearing on his face. "I know you've got the best eyes around—" quickly realizing how his words might sound, he backtracked, "—I mean your eyesight, but even I can see the tension between you two at times."

"I know I can't force Barry into just being ok with everything, but I wish it was easy as I had made it out to be in my head," Averey said with a sigh. "Everything in my brain made this perfect picture; my dad, my brother, and I would live happily ever after. Relatively, anyway." She lifted her hands to the side of her face before moving them out in front of her. "My tunnel vision struck again, yeah?"

"You just saw what you wanted and went after it, that's all," Cisco said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Hmm, just like you and working at STAR Labs?" she asked. Cisco felt his jaw drop just slightly before he closed it. _Touché. _"You don't want to talk about it. That's ok."

"You know, it's scary how you can read people's faces like that," Cisco commented, squirting a glob of gray into his paint pallet. "So, how do your eyes work, anyway?"

"You mean apart from giving me the ability to see?" Averey asked with a smirk. "Isn't that your job to figure out?"

Cisco rolled his eyes. "I mean, like, how far can you see with your zoom?" he asked. "It's like a camera, right? How many feet?"

"Camera zooms don't really work like that, Cisco," Averey replied. She made a face before using the side of her thumb to correct her painting mistake. "It's more about the focal length you have. Anyway, I don't know how far. I've never really measured it. I know at least 150 meters." She started painting her bank again.

"So, what's something you've liked most about America while you've been here?" he asked after a moment of silence between the two of them as they painted. "Is it the accents? I bet it is. You have a great accent."

"I don't have an accent." Averey stared blankly at him. Cisco opened and closed his mouth, trying to form any sort of sentence. Only when he saw the teasing grin on her face did he relax. "I'm so used to hearing other Aussie's talk; I don't think I have an accent. You all do."

"Is hearing the American accent weird for you?" Cisco asked. Man, he sure wouldn't mind just hearing her talk all day.

"It's not anything I'm not used to, really." Averey turned her head and using her shoulder to scratch at her nose. "We get a lot of American shows back home so I've heard the accent a lot." Cisco paused, nearly dropping a glob of pain on his pants when she added nonchalantly, "Actually, I find it kind of sexy; you all curl your lips in a certain way when you talk." Cisco felt his face heat up as she lifted her head to look up at him, her gaze shifting upwards to lock eyes with him. "And yes, I was looking at your lips."

_What the hell do you say to that? "_Thanks?" How lame would that be? Maybe a compliment? But, what to compliment her on? There was so much. Her smile. The way her hair fell over her eyes? Not that he could really get anything out, his brain had suddenly lost the ability to form a single thought, and his mouth had gone incredibly dry. Maybe he should start with removing his tongue from where it was stuck to the roof of his mouth. Luckily (and thankfully) she started talking, saving himself from making a fool of himself.

"What do I like the most? Well, the Wi-Fi is _so _much faster," Averey continued to explain, not seeming to notice his being tongue tied. Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, and you have root beer and our drink sizes in restaurants are bigger. But, I don't like your chocolate—hey!"

"Uh, excuse you?" Cisco asked, pulling the tray of black paint away from her brush. "Chocolate is, like the greatest invention on this planet."

"Hershey just doesn't make it as good as Cadbury, that's all," Averey replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She moved to dip her paintbrush into the black paint again and Cisco pulled it away a second time, causing her to mark the back of his hand in retaliation. "Woops. How clumsy of me."

"Something tells me you did that on purpose," Cisco said, looking down at the back of his hand. He reached for the collection of paintbrushes (in various sizes) and jammed them into the colored paint on the pallet by his arm. He then reached across the table, trying to get around Averey's arms as she tried to deflect his attack. "Ha, ha. Payback!"

"Don't." Averey laughed, turning her head to try and keep Cisco's paint covered fingers from reaching her. "Stop! Ahh—Cisco, stop!"

"I'll say one thing about having an older brother like Dante," Cisco laughed as he settled back in his seat. He reached for the roll of paper towel and ripped off a section to wipe his fingers. "Bugging him was really fun."

"I'll take your word for it," Averey laughed, using her forearm to wipe at her face.

"Here; you're just spreading it," Cisco reached out a hand to help her rid her face of paint and froze. "Mind?" Averey motioned for him to go ahead—as she wiped the paint from her fingers—before sitting straight in her seat, offering him access to her face. Trying to keep his fingers steady, Cisco brushed the paper towel over the curves of her cheeks and the bride of her nose. "So, uh, you don't think of America as home?"

Averey's nose wrinkled. "Not really," she replied before blinking her thanks. "I mean, I do like it here but home is home, y'know? Wherever you can find it."

_Yeah, but it can change. _He didn't consider his parents house home that much anymore. He could call his apartment home and he could call STAR Labs home, and occasion, generally around holidays he could call the Snow abode home, but not his real home. Wait. That just might be it.

"You're a genius," he said to her.

"I don't hear that often," Averey said, blinking as she settled back into her chair. "What do you mean?"

"You said home is home wherever you can find it," Cisco repeated. "What if that's all Ronnie, and Martin Stein, want? To go home?" Averey nodded her head. "Both times Firestorm showed up, Caitlin was in trouble. All our other attempts to get in contact with him haven't worked so what if we—"

_Bzzz._

Cisco balled up the paper towel in his hands and threw it onto the table before reached for his phone that started to vibrate in his pocket. "Oh, it's Barry." Cisco answered his phone, double checking that he didn't leave a streak of paint behind before lifting his phone to his ear. "Hey, Barry. Uh huh? No, I'm with Averey. In Keystone. Right now? Ok, ok. Yeah, see you in a bit."

"What's up?" Averey asked.

"Barry and Joe are at his old place," Cisco explained as he hung up the phone. "We need to get some stuff from STAR Labs before heading over."

"What are they there for?" Averey asked. She instantly got to her feet and started clearing their belongings.

"They think they found a break in his mom's case." Averey stopped what she was doing and looked up at him in alarm. "Look, I'm sorry we're cutting this short, I know you were doing this all for me and I appreciate it, and I've really enjoyed spending time with you but—"

Averey covered his mouth with her hand, effectively stopping him from talking. He couldn't help but notice how soft her hand felt against his lips (despite the dried paint stuck to her palm), or the sweet scent wafting up his nose. "It's ok, no dramas," she reassured him. "Let's just hurry."

* * *

_Kelli: _And there's more of Belle Reve to come, too. Thanks for reading.

_Ethan: _It actually wasn't a James Bond reference; or I tried not to do it that way. I actually went and counted how many metahumans there were by that episode, how many were alive and imprisoned in the particle accelerator and assigned him the number from there. Basically, I wanted to have Eddie to force himself to get a "plain" flavor so he wouldn't tempt himself to overeat it. Haha, no, Eddie and Averey weren't planning a date.


	29. Home is Home (Part II)

**-Chapter Twenty-Nine-**

**"Home is Home Wherever You Can Find It"  
(Part II)**

* * *

Barry never thought he'd be standing in his old bedroom again, let alone his childhood home. He remembered the fish tank was practically in the center of the room, the telescope by the window, the basketball hoop on the back of his closet door, the science posters on the wall, and the space station hanging from the ceiling. Now it was an office and all of his memories were packed up into the West attic. It was weird to think that everything in his life could be packed up into boxes and stored away without a second thought.

Slowly turning in a circle, Barry lifted a hand to his lips, trying to push back all those feelings he felt that night but it came crashing over him like a wave. His heart rate sped up (more so than the "normal" rate it was now), and he felt fear gripping at him. He wanted to run out of the house and stay put at the exact same time; he was finally getting answers that he wanted, but he didn't want to _be there_. Heat collected under his collar and he tugged at his clothes trying to cool himself down.

_Breathe. Breathe. _Sucking in deep breaths of air, he closed his eyes and flashes of red and light swirling around his terrified mother reached his ears. Screams of absolute terror and desperation rang in his ears followed by a roaring sound. Slapping his hands over his ears, he tried to block it all out, but it got louder and louder and—_SLAM_.

Barry jumped at the sudden loud noise, feeing the floor shake beneath his feet. His eyes snapped open and he looked around wildly. He was still in his office, his old room. He wasn't outside. He wasn't a kid anymore. He was safe. No one could hurt him; he was too fast. He was the Flash. Slowly lowering his hands from his ears, he shook them out, trying to rid his body of the feeling of dread.

"Bare?"

Barry whipped his head towards the doorway where Joe stood, holding onto a carton of Big Belly Burger fries. "I've been calling your name," Joe said before lifting a fry to his mouth. He popped the piece of fast food into his mouth and chewed. "You ok?" Holding out his hand, he offered the fries to his foster son, shaking the carton.

Barry removed a couple of French fries from the box and slid them into his mouth. "No," he admitted, shaking his head from side to side. "I just…it doesn't feel like home anymore. Home is supposed to feel safe."

"You're right," Joe agreed with a nod of his head. "It is. But no one would ever expect something like this was going to happen. Or could ever happen." Barry nodded his head as he chewed. "I mean, did you ever think one day you'd not only survive being struck by lightning but gain the type of speed people could only dream of?"

"Of course not," Barry replied. His cheeks puffed out as he sighed. "I just hate how this house makes me feel. It was like there was never any happiness here. Almost like our family never lived here."

"Well, there's one thing that hasn't changed since you moved out," Joe said, scratching at the back of his neck. "Come on, you're going to want to see this."

Barry followed Joe out of the bedroom-turned-office and down the stairs of the house. "Who lives here now, anyway?" he asked.

"A recent divorcee and her son," Joe replied. "Her son is spending the weekend with her ex. She was pretty accommodating to my request."

"Uh-huh," Barry said, feeling himself smile. "A _recent _divorcee, huh?"

"Don't get any ideas," Joe said. Barry didn't have to see Joe's face to know that the older man rolled his eyes. "She's really helping us out."

"Ok, so what was it you wanted me to see?" Barry asked, setting foot into the living room. His eyebrows lifted at the multiple fast food bags sitting on the living room table. "Apart from all the Big Belly Burger you brought over?" His stomach growled as the smell of the warm food reached his nose. He grabbed one of the bags and unfurled the top before reaching in to retrieve a hamburger box. "I'm starving."

"You're belcim," Averey said around a mouthful of French fries. She and Cisco were standing around the table in the dining room, eating.

"We came over as quickly as we could," Cisco added, licking ketchup off of his thumb.

Barry did a double take as he looked at them and the colored splotches on their hands and faces. "Is that paint?" he asked, lifting his hand to indicate his face.

"Like I said, we came over as quickly as we could," Cisco repeated, fixing him a stare that read "I'll explain later." Barry slowly nodded his head before taking another bite of his burger. "What's going on?"

"Of all the things in this house that has stayed that same, it was that mirror," Joe said, pointing across the living room.

Barry looked over at the mirror and frowned before taking a bite of the burger in his hands. "Man, I always hated that thing," he commented. "I swear, late at night, there were some weird…_things_ you could see in there. And, I know it tried to get back at me for avoiding it. It nearly fell on me." He swallowed the food in his mouth. "_Twice._"

"Barry, it's backed with silver nitrate," Cisco explained.

"Like what was used in old photography?" he asked and Cisco nodded.

"Except silver nitrate itself isn't light sensitive enough to capture an image," Joe replied. "From what Cisco explained, anyway." Barry shifted his gaze over towards the engineer and Cisco tilted his head over towards the ocular metahuman.

"Averey can explain it better," he said.

"Sweet as. My time to shine," Averey said with a small smile before she clapped her hands together to rid her fingers of the salt crystals from her fingers. "Cisco's both right and wrong. You know how with those old cameras the photographer would slide those slabs into the back of the camera?" Barry nodded his head. "Those are called dry plates and was what the picture was exposed to with the combination of the flash used, the natural light, and the way the camera works."

"Anyway, to develop those pictures, a handful of chemicals were needed to extract photos from those plates. Silver salts were used most because it allowed the color of the image captured to change when the shutter was opened to indicate the difference in lights and shadows. Silver nitrate was created because the salt was difficult to use on thin plates and couldn't be stored for a long time. Like Cisco said, silver nitrate isn't the best to use for photography, but it's great to use for storage. 15 years of storage."

Barry watched as Averey paced back and forth in the room as she talked. It suddenly hit him that the last time she had set foot in his home was years ago. He remembered running through the house with Iris and Averey chasing after him, calling him "mean" because he wouldn't share his candy. He remembered lying on the carpeted floor coloring before taking part in a game of "The Floor is Lava."

Then an image of his family seated around the circular dining room table came to view. His mom was alive his dad was out of jail, and was eating and talking happily with himself and Averey. If his mom hadn't died, would that be how things would have turned out? Or maybe not; Averey wouldn't need to come to America to look for his dad if wasn't in jail. Then again, he had said that Averey's mom and his mom were both open to them spending time together. Maybe no matter what, if his mom had been alive, it would have ended this way.

"So!" Barry snapped back to attention. "With the two speedsters in his house that night, their lightning created a bright enough flashes to impose images onto the backing of this mirror—no chemicals needed." She crossed her arms over her chest. "However, like all cameras, you're running the risk of double, triple, multiple exposures so what you could pull from it might be a right jumbled mess."

"But, it's worth a shot," Cisco added. "I have equipment to help back at STAR Labs. I just need to get it, set it up, and we can go from there." He pressed his lips together for a moment. "We could give you those answers you've always wanted, Barry."

"Tell me what it looks like and I'll get it for you," Barry said, deciding on the spot. It was partially fueled by his desire for answers and also his desire to get out of the house as fast as he could. Cisco quickly explained what the device looked like and Barry rushed to and from STAR Labs as quickly as he could carrying the parts needed. As Cisco and Barry set up what looked like a photo developing device, he went back to eating, refueling himself after the energy spent carrying the heavy object.

"The Floor is Lava."

"Sorry?" Barry asked, a handful of French fries sitting away from his mouth.

"You fell off the mirror in The Floor is Lava," Averey replied, nodding towards the piece of furniture in the corner. "And it nearly fell on you. I remember 'cause you busted your knee open and—"

"Iris saw all of the blood," Barry finished for her. "And she ran to Joe yelling, 'Daddy, Barry's dying'." Averey pretended to yell the last part of his sentence with him.

"Shoot, I remember that, too," Joe said, his tone taking on slight annoyance. "Nearly gave me a heart attack. According to Henry, I acted like the world was on fire."

"Bet I could beat you in a bike race, now," Barry said, chuckling at Joe's statement.

"Yeah, maybe," Averey replied with a smirk. "Are you admitting you lost in the first place?"

"No way." Barry shook his head. He quickly finished his burger before looking for another one. "I beat you fair and square." Settling on another carton of fries, Barry grasped a couple of the salted food between his fingers before biting off the top half. Silence fell over the two of them and Barry focused on his eating.

He couldn't help it; every time he looked at her, it reminded him of how different things were now. He had envisioned a perfect relationship between his parents and that wasn't true. He never thought his dad was capable of cheating and that happened. It made him angry to know that it was kept from him for so long (and even longer after Averey had found out) and at the same time, he was sad to know that everything he thought was to be true was just a version of it.

Now he had a little sister to look out for on top of everything else…and he didn't even know how to be a big brother. Sure, Iris was sort of like his sister, but most of the time it was more like growing up with his best friend. This was real. She was related to him by blood; and after her needed blood transfusion, a bit more literally.

"You don't have to do that."

"Do what?" Barry asked with more bite than he intended. He really had to remember that she could notice things most people wouldn't. Maybe he could pass it off as being hangry. No, he definitely knew it was the house putting him out of sorts. It just had an evil presence to it now.

"You said yourself we could work something out, if that means you just seem me as a friend or even a sidekick, then that's what you have to do," Averey replied as if she was having the conversation with him for the millionth time. "It's better than guessing how you're going to react to me by day."

"Guys," Joe said in a warning tone.

"It's not just hard for you, you know," Averey said as Barry continued eating. The food was cold and the potato was sticking to the roof of his mouth, leaving a gross coating. "But, if you want to act like I didn't say anything, fine. I spent 25 years of my life without a brother, I can last longer."

His vision went red. He didn't need this right now. "Oh yeah, you did so well for yourself you got yourself thrown in jail," Barry shot back before he could stop himself. "Congratulations."

Averey let out a laugh. "What do you think your life is since you decided to spend it all on getting dad out of prison?" she shot back. Barry was on his feet a second later, feeling the carton of French fries fold in on itself in his tight grip. Despite their height difference, Averey stood up to face him, eyes filled with the same determination he had seen back in the hospital. "See? This is what I mean! And I know this isn't just about you being whammied. One minute you're fine and the next you're acting like I'm a stranger to you." She lifted her arms before dropping them down by her sides, seeming to change her mind. "Which I guess I still am to you."

"Guys!"

"It sucks, ok?" Barry asked. He tightened his jaw, narrowing his eyes. "It sucks knowing that this had been kept from me for years from the people I've always looked up to, admired, and trusted completely." He curled his fingers into fists before he relaxed them. "And it sucks that someone I have to go out there with, someone I'm trusting to help me protect Central City wasn't honest with me."

"Right, you're preaching to me about honesty," Averey said, her eyebrows lifting upwards. "Have you even told Iris you're the Flash?"

"_Guys!_"

"That's completely—" Barry groaned as a bright light was suddenly shining in his face—Averey lifted a hand to cover her face, shuffle-stumbling over to her bag to retrieve her sunglasses. Lifting a hand, he turned to figure out what it was coming from when he spotted the horror on his mom's face. "Different." His attention shifting to the images, he felt the tension in his body release to be replaced by wonder. "What is this?"

"The night of Nora's murder," Joe replied grimly. "Cisco managed to salvage snapshots from the mirror and…this was captured." With a _click_ the picture shifted. Nora was still in the center of the room, eyes wide, mouth open in a terrified scream, but now there were streaks of red and yellow around her.

Barry felt himself smiling as a sudden burst of relief flooded his chest. Finally, people would see the truth. "I told you Joe," he said. "The red and yellow lightning."

"You sure did," Joe said, staring at the pictures as they flashed before him.

"All this time I wondered…" Cisco said quietly, his thumb the only part of his body moving as he controlled the device to move through the images. "I'm sorry you had to go through this, Barry. It must have been worse than I imagined."

"Actually, it was everyone else I always felt sorry for," Barry replied, staring at the picture. "I knew exactly what happened, but everyone else had to waste their time imagining, speculating, and guessing." He chuckled. "_They're _the ones who never knew the truth."

"Until now," Averey replied.

Barry lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Joe. No one was going to be able to know the truth. Not for a while. That fact settled heavily into Barry's stomach but it was for the best. They needed to present the evidence and information in a way to get everyone for them to actually believe that what was going on in Central City.

_But now Joe knows the truth, _Barry thought to himself. _Now someone believes you. _He paced in a circle around the images, freezing briefly when he spotted a younger version of himself, screaming desperately for his mom from the doorway. His face was flushed red, tears collected in his eyes, fear etched on his face. That night was like an out of body experience, only he had never seen what he looked like. That was the last time his mom saw him; not her 'beautiful boy', but a terrified kid. One she couldn't protect.

"Holy," Cisco said quietly. Barry looked over at him and saw that he was pointing at the images in front of him. "It—it's…"

"Barry," Averey finished for him.

Barry was going to point out how obvious it was that the little boy in the room was in fact him, but then he realized Joe, Cisco, and Caitlin were looking in a different direction. Standing in the center of the room was a picture of himself in the Flash suit. His hand was lifted into a motion almost like he was trying to stop someone. The Reverse-Flash? Barry couldn't see a yellow streak in this image. But he could make out the shape of his own jaw, the curve of his own nose, and the curve of his spine in his stance.

"That _is_ me," Barry said, walking over to himself. He reached out his hand and passed his fingers through the image in front of him. "But, how?" He looked over his shoulder at the closer door behind him, in the direction the 3D image of himself was looking. "And what am I doing?" It hit him almost instantly: _I'm trying to save mom._

"The Reverse-Flash came here for a reason that night," Averey said, taking in the scene in front of her. "I mean Barry is still fighting him from wherever in the future this happens." She waved her hand in the air, indicating the scene in front of her. "And we know that the _real _Barry wants to defeat him to get him to confess to his mom's murder. So why, at some point in the future, do you come back here?"

"Yo, this like, _Harry Potter_ Time Turner kind of stuff," Cisco said, shaking his head back and forth. He massaged at his temples with hi free hand. "My head is hurting just thinking about it."

"Barry, I remember that night you came running _into _the house after I responded to the calls of the noise coming from here," Joe said. Barry looked over at him, his eyebrows furrowed. "If you're here…how did you get outside?"

"I—I don't know," Barry replied, shaking his head. He felt like he was a little kid all over again, explaining the story repeatedly to police officers and detectives. Each time he would be met with blank stares and condescending words. Even all the therapists thought it was just a way for him to cope with what he saw that night. Even _Joe _thought the same thing. "I was there in the house one minute and the next I was miles away in the middle of the street."

"Almost as if a speedster got you out of the house?" Cisco asked. He was talking slowly as if choosing his words carefully. Or maybe even he didn't believe his own suggestion. "So you…saved yourself? You knew what was going to happen to your mom and stopped yourself from witnessing it?"

"Or maybe to stop yourself from seeing just how gruesome it was," Joe replied, making his way out of the room. "Check this out." Barry, Cisco, and Averey followed him over to the floral covered wall where bright red splotches glowed on the wall. "I've never seen this before. How did I not see this?"

Barry placed a hand on Joe's shoulder, giving him the best smile he could muster. "It's ok," he said. "Really."

"These marks aren't on the wallpaper, though," Cisco pointed out.

"We didn't have wallpaper when I lived here," Barry said, reaching out his hand for the corner of the floral print. A tearing sound filled the air as he peeled it back, gasping when he spotted the dried blood on the dark wall.

Averey let out a low whistle. "No wonder they covered it," she commented, "that would be murder to get out of the wall." There was a pregnant pause of silence as she winced. "Ooh, bad choice of words."

"Can you get a blood sample from this?" Joe asked.

"Easily manageable," Cisco said with a nod. "Barry, could I use your lab?" Barry silently nodded his head. "I can see if there's a match to Barry's blood since he was here, but for the other speedster, that could take some time. I don't even know who to begin to match it to."

Joe let out a long sigh. "I think…Dr. Wells for one," he said.

"You think Wells had something to do with my mom's murder?" Barry asked, giving Joe a look of disbelief. "No. Joe. There's no way he could have been a part of that. It's impossible."

"I think at this point we can stop thinking that things are impossible," Joe commented, fixing Barry with a "You did not just say that" stare. "All I'm saying is, some stuff doesn't add up with him and I'd like to get it checked out."

"He didn't even know of my family back then," Barry protested.

"You don't find it a bit odd that out of _everyone _in the world, Harrison Wells knew exactly what was happening to you when you were in the hospital?" Joe asked. "Or that he didn't seem at all phased that Hartley Rathaway attacked him in his home the way he did?"

"All I know is that Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin, are the only ones who know how to help me," Barry replied, putting his hands up in the air. "I'm telling you, Joe, he doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Barry—"

Barry turned on his heels to walk away, stopping short when he felt a hand grab at his arm. He looked over at Averey who was pointing towards the abandoned Big Belly Burger food. The tops of the beverages were floating in the air, followed by the dark brown liquid of the soda. The last time he saw something like that happen was right before he was struck by lightning.

The words "oh no" were barely out of his mouth when the front door burst open in a rush of wind and a streak of yellow light. He felt a heavy weight on his chest seconds before he, Cisco, Averey, and Joe were thrown back against the wall before they fell into a heap on the floor.

"I wondered how long it'd be until you came back here, Flash," the Reverse-Flash taunted. Barry reached behind his back to massage his spine. "The past is hard to run away from. It always seems to catch up to you."

"Averey, get them out of here," Barry said, locking eyes with the Reverse-Flash's intense red gaze. "Now!"

"Barry," Joe protested, reaching for his gun. "You can't do this on your own."

"No," Barry said, slowly getting to his feet. His back throbbed with each deep breath of air. "If the neighbors hear the gun fire, they could call the police."

"Uh, he kind of _is _the police," Cisco reminded him, "and so are you for that matter."

"I don't need anyone else to get hurt, or worse, in this house," Barry said, shaking his head back and forth. "Now get out of here."

"How noble," the Reverse-Flash taunted. Gritting his teeth, Barry rushed forward, driving his fist into the stomach of the yellow suited man. The Reverse-Flash doubled over grunting in pain before grasping tight handfuls of the back of Barry's shirt and coat. His world was turned upside down as the Reverse-Flash lifted him off his feet before proceeding to ram him into the wall. "But, it's not going to stop me."

Around and around the Allen household, the two speedsters fought, trying to gain the upper hand. With each punch, kick, and twist of limbs that Barry endured, he gave back to the Reverse-Flash as best as she could. Lamps were knocked over, glass was broken, and walls were knocked into as they fought. He was faster now, he had people to take care of and it was that drive that kept him fighting despite the rapid fire hits his body was taking.

"Gah!" Hitting the back of a chair, and rolling over the top, Barry hit the floor on his shoulder before quickly rushing out of the way of the chair falling on top of him. He slumped into the corner, gasping for air. "Why did you come back here?"

"Why did you?" the Reverse-Flash replied, standing over him. Rolling his head on his neck, he regarded the projection of Nora in the middle of the room. "You weren't fast enough to save her then and you're still not fast enough now."

"Somehow, someway, you and I get back to that time," Barry seethed, taking in deep breaths of air, his chest burning. Tasting copper in his mouth he ran his tongue over his lips and winced when he felt the split in the corner of his lips. He spat the blood onto the floor. "And I will not lose."

"You've already lost, Flash," the Reverse-Flash replied. "And you will always lose. That is your desti—"

_Pop!_

Barry flinched as the Reverse-Flash's head bent to the side as a soccer ball ricocheted off of the side of his head. The Reverse-Flash slowly turned his head to face Averey who trapped the ball with the inside of her knee before sliding her foot underneath it. Mouth forming a tight line, she used her foot to flick the ball up into the air before pulling her leg back and striking the ball. It zoomed through the air before striking the Reverse-Flash in the chest, bouncing away to the floor.

"It's years until I have to deal with you," the Reverse-Flash said, tilting his head from side to side. He slowly lifted his arms as if to say 'Oh well'. "All in the family as they say. It is, too, your destiny to lose to me. Why wait decades?"

"Maybe someday in the future, _mate_," Averey replied, her voice wobbling just slightly. She planted her foot down on top of the ball before rolling it back onto the top of her foot, striking it for a third time. "But not today." The Reverse-Flash merely bent out of the way before shooting forward in a burst of yellow light, grabbing her with a hand to her throat. The sunglasses covering her face flew off by the movement.

"You may show courage now," Reverse-Flash taunted as he pushed Averey higher and higher up the wall. She kicked her legs and twisted this way and that, scratching at his hands as she tried to breathe. A bright glint repeatedly appeared and disappeared near her hip. "I promise you; that will soon change."

Sucking in a deep breath of air, his chest painfully expanding, Barry pushed off the wall and burst forward, leading with his shoulder. A gurgled gasp of surprise escaped past Barry's lips as the Reverse-Flash's fingers on his free hand tightly clutched his larynx. The wind whistled through his ears as the Reverse-Flash charged across the room and slammed the two metahumans into the wall. The darkness of the room started creeping into Barry's vision. He tried prying at the Reverse-Flash's fingers but could not break his strong grip.

"Say farewell, Flash."

Suddenly, a beam of purple light filled Barry's vision before it hit the Reverse-Flash square in the eyes, momentarily changing the angry red color to a dull mauve. The Reverse-Flash growled, shaking his head from side to side, as if clearing his vision. Barry dropped his arm to his side. The red glow of the Reverse-Flash's eyes dulled as the shadows closed in on him. With his weakening energy, he reached behind Averey's back, feeling his fingers slide over the smooth surface of one of her boomerangs. He quickly disengaged one half of the weapon before thrusting it forward into the evil speedster's stomach.

The Reverse-Flash let out a loud, long scream of pain before he dropped the two metahumans to the floor. With a clatter, the metal weapon hit the floor, falling from Barry's relaxed grip. Coughing and gasping for air, Barry massaged his burning throat. His vision swam in front of him, the darkness receding until what was left was the light and shadows of the dark house and Cisco's device.

Letting out a gruff yell of effort, Averey pushed herself to her feet and burst forward, ramming her shoulder into the speedster's stomach, tackling him to the ground. The speedster reached wildly for her, its maroon colored glow of his eyes flickering its intense red light. Barry got to his feet in time for Averey to come crashing into his chest as she was thrown off the Yellow-suited man.

"Oof."

"You are just wasting your time." The Reverse-Flash stated as he walked over to the fallen metahumans to leer down at them. "Time you do not have."

"You said…we'll be fighting for…for decades," Barry said, his chest rising and falling as he gasped for air. His lips parted—increasing the split in his lip, the dull pain turning into a sharp sting—and he gave a confident smile. "Seems like I've got plenty of time."

"Wrong again, Flash." Barry was lifted off the ground and carried through the bottom floor of the house, being slammed into each wall along the way before he was dumped in the kitchen. Curling himself up into a ball, Barry covered his head as the Reverse-Flash landed punches and kicks on him.

He suddenly stopped and Barry cracked open an eye and watched as the Reverse-Flash turned and caught the metal weapon that went flying towards him; easily pulling it out of the air. Almost lazily, he threw the boomerang to the kitchen floor where it clattered as it bounced away. Her bottom lip quivering just slightly, Averey stared back at him.

"You're only stopping the inevitable, Visionary," the Reverse-Flash warned her. "I'm sure even you can _see _that."

"Funny." Averey's gaze shifted down towards Barry and he peered back at her. Angling her head slightly, she indicated a direction with her chin. He looked around the room, mind working quickly, wondering what it was that she was motioning to. Then he saw a broom leaning against the stove.

Everything around him moved slowly as he used his speed to rush over to the cleaning tool. He grasped it in his hand and ran back over towards Averey. In slow motion, she started dodging to her right as the Reverse-Flash raced towards her. Stepping in front of the speedster, Barry placed himself between the two metahumans. He held the bristled end of the broom to his chest, the handle sticking out in the air in front of him.

Then everything was back in real time. Barry pushed Averey out of the way just as a gagging sound tore from the Yellow speedster's mouth's he was clothes lined. The Reverse-Flash crumpled into a ball on the floor, the molecules of his body slowing down before the vibrations stopped all together. Before Barry could move, the Reverse-Flash slammed his fist onto the ground in frustration before rushing out of the house in a burst of wind.

With a rush of air, the Reverse-Flash sped out of the house.

"God damn it," Averey cursed as she rolled onto her stomach from where she lay on the floor.

"Cisco?" Barry asked between gasps of air, massing his wrists as the broom was roughly jerked from his hands. "Joe?"

"They're ok."

Barry nodded his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited for his energy to build back up again. Once he caught his breath, he pushed himself up to a kneeling position.

"I had it handled," he said, putting his hands to his knees before sitting back on his heels.

Averey lifted an eyebrow as she wiped at the blood sliding down the corner of her mouth. "I could see that," she replied. Retrieving the second half of her boomerang from the waistband of her jeans, Averey searched the dark kitchen for the other half.

Barry's lips twitched as he got to his feet. He shuffled to the living room and gazed over at the images of his mom and his younger self. It was a small win, but a win nonetheless. For once, he felt like he was able to defend his home.

* * *

Caitlin brushed her hair behind her ears before rubbing at her tired, burning eyes. She stretched her arms up over her head, pointing her toes as she flexed the muscles in her legs. When her muscles started to burn, she relaxed in her seat. How late was it?

Reaching for her computer mouse, she shook the device, the blank screen saver disappearing to reveal her lock screen. A picture of her and Ronnie filled the four corners of the computer screen. She couldn't see him placing a kiss to her temple as they stood in a field of flowers as it was blocked behind her account picture and the fields to enter her password. Quickly typing in the password she got a brief glimpse of the full image before her computer screen went blank and then brought up the many pages, charts, and graphs she was looking at.

"10:37," she said to herself, her gaze shifting to the upper hand right corner where the date, time, and volume indicator sat. "When did it get to be so late?"

"You're still here, Dr. Snow."

Caitlin whirled around in her seat, startled by the sudden voice. "Oh, Dr. Wells," she said, putting a hand to her heart. "You scared me."

"I apologize," Dr. Wells replied, folding his hands in his lap as he came to a stop beside her. "I thought I was the only one burning the midnight oil. You should get some rest."

"I will," Caitlin replied, giving him a small smile. "It's just that I've already been so far behind on…everything around here," Caitlin explained with a sigh. "Mainly speaking Bivolo and how to reverse his 'whammy' effects, and understanding Averey's gaps of memory."

"You know as well as I do that Rome wasn't built in a day," Dr. Wells said with a light of his eyebrows. He removed his glasses from his face and rubbed at his eyes. "You'll want to be careful. I take eyestrain seriously." He shrugged his shoulders, waving the glasses in his hand as if to prove his point.

"Dr. Wells you know there are no lasting damages from eye strain," Caitlin said with a patient smile.

"Indeed I do, but I still wish for my employees to stay in peak mental and physical health," Dr. Wells replied, carefully folding the arms of his glasses before hooking them to the collar of his black shirt. "Have you made any progress?"

"Well, Bivolo somehow manages to whammy all of those at the bank, Barry, Averey, and who knows how many others through his optic nerves," Caitlin explained, turning back towards her computer. After a series of clicks, forms appeared on her screen with Central City Memorial Hospital emblazoned at the top. "From the medical forms I was able to get through the CCPD, their anger reached peak heights in times of incredible stress."

"The more stressed they were—and they would be given the atmosphere in the bank," Dr. Wells said with a short laugh, "the angrier they got."

"Which explains why a woman with a newborn would suddenly snap and aim a gun at a bystander," Caitlin agreed with a nod of her head. "Let's just be glad this didn't occur at the DMV." She smiled as Dr. Wells laughed quietly at her joke. "We've seen Barry lash out from time to time and of course, your stress can be shown in many different ways; with Averey being whammied with purple and it affecting her psychosis, I would assume that for her, it's—"

"Fear," Dr. Wells said at the same time as her.

"Correct," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. "Well, I don't particularly blame her. This can be a lot for people." Dr. Wells didn't answer. At the stretch of silence, Caitlin turned her head, recoiling when she noticed how close her boss was to her.

"How are you doing?" Dr. Wells asked, peering at her with an intense gaze. "Really? It's not just Barry who's been through a lot."

Caitlin found herself massaging her wrist, feeling the raised skin; a reminder of her few hours in captivity with Cisco at the hands of Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. The flash of his face on the TV screen every night promoting a reward for any piece of information that would lead to his arrest would send a cold shiver down her spine. Feeling the heat of a flame so close to her would have her break out in a sweat. Walking to her car alone even in broad daylight occurred with multiple checks of her surroundings, and the presence of tense muscles in her shoulders.

"Your silence says more than any words could."

Caitlin snapped out of her thoughts, offering a fleeting smile. "I'm ok," she replied. She nodded her head over and over again. Her gaze then shifted towards her hand as he gently grasped her hand, running his thumb over the scar on her wrist. "Um…"

"I promise you'll start feel safe again," Dr. Wells said.

"Well, I've always felt safe here," Caitlin replied, feeling the warmth of Dr. Wells's hand on top of hers turn into a burning heat that climbed up her arm and into her cheeks. "I accepted your offer at a position here without hesitation. You've done so much for me and Cisco."

"And you two have done more than I could ever ask of you," Dr. Wells replied, gently squeezing her hand. "I'm sure you two had a better outlook in your careers than to continuously work at a defunct laboratory. But, I appreciate that you stayed. I know I don't say it enough. Especially not after Ronnie—"

_Ronnie. _Caitlin pulled her hand out from underneath Dr. Wells's, folding her hands in her lap. Ronnie was still alive. Of course, he wasn't in the same state as she had last seen him, but he was still there. Whenever she was in the most danger he was there; first outside STAR Labs at the first sighting of the Reverse-Flash, and then when Snart and Rory were around. There was still some of _her _Ronnie in there. And here she was, allowing another man, her boss, to make her hot under the collar.

At the same time, it was somewhat comforting to get that kind of attention again. It had been so long since she had not only felt like a functioning person, but that she could feel attractive to anyone. Her work helped her get her confidence back; it gave her a reason to put a little effort into doing her hair and makeup in the morning, and it gave her friends to help her smile and loosen up around. Cisco had been trying for months to get her to open up or to at least smile and while that didn't happen all the time, he was still _there _and she was grateful for it.

The fact of the matter was Cisco didn't look at her the way Ronnie did. Sure, Dr. Wells was a closed off man, but she couldn't help but wonder if she really was seeing more in his gazes. Whenever she started thinking that, she got confused, or felt guilty, and wanted to kick Averey for putting that thought in her head to begin with.

"Um, so anyway, I w-was thinking given Bivolo's optic abilities, the right combi—uh—combination and frequency of light and color, um, should reverse his effects," she quickly explained, stumbling over her words. "Um, the only problem of course would be Averey's adverse reaction to bright lights."

"The ends justify the means in this case, I'd say," Dr. Wells reassured her. "Great work, as always. Caitlin."

She cleared her throat as she looked over at him. "Thank you, Dr. Wells," she replied. "Although, I don't believe this answers the gaps in Averey's memory. Nine months is a long time to not remember anything."

"The mind-body connection is a complicated thing as I'm sure you know," Dr. Wells reminded her, settling back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. "As was evident with Barry's coma and the circumstances surrounding that. We're not dealing with a normal circumstance."

"You're right," Caitlin replied with a nod of her head. "I know you're right. We can figure this out."

"Not tonight we won't," Dr. Wells commented, leaning heavily to one side. His face contorting with pain, he lifted himself up onto the left arm rest, bearing all his weight on his forearm. Reaching out a hand, he reached underneath the computer screen and pressed a button, causing the screen to go black. She could feel the heat radiating off of his arm, his torso as he leaned close to her. "I understand the excitement of a scientific breakthrough, but even the greatest minds need to rest."

"Dr. Wells, are you ok?" Caitlin asked as he settled, which looked more like collapsing, back into his seat. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead, and he was breathing a little heavily.

"I assure you, I'm fine," Dr. Wells replied, waving his hand in the air.

Caitlin fixed him with a pointed stare. "Let me see," she insisted, turning her chair around to face him. "You didn't try to get in and out of your chair by yourself again, did you?"

"I may have lost mobility in my legs, but I assure you, there are still things I can do for myself," Dr. Wells replied. Caitlin lifted an eyebrow and with a sigh, he grasped the hem of his shirt, lifting it up over his stomach. Her eyes drifted over each ridge of his abdomen before landing on the multi-colored spot on his right side.

"What happened?" she asked, feeling her eyes widen.

"I'm ok," Dr. Wells insisted.

"You should put some ice on it, it'll make the swelling go down and reduce the pain," she explained to him, shifting to get a better look. "In a couple of hours it could look better, but it's going to take a few days, a week top to heal."

"I heal quickly, it's nothing to worry about."

"Still." Before she could stop herself, she reached out a hand and gently pressed at the edge of the bruise. She could feel Dr. Wells's muscles tense beneath her fingers as he sharply inhaled, swiftly grabbing her wrist to stop her. "Sorry." She lifted her gaze to lock eyes with him. The warm skin beneath her fingers slowly lifted and fell with each breath Dr. Wells took in. His grip on her hand was gentle, yet firm.

"That's ok."

And then she was kissing him.

* * *

Joe let out a long sigh as he pulled into the parking lot of the police department the next morning. It was a long, sleepless night. Every time he would close his eyes he could see the Reverse-Flash over and over again. He had been warned to not try and track the guy down before, and Iris was threatened in response. What would happen now that he was seen inside the Allen home? The guy had to have known by now that Iris was writing about him as well. And somehow he knew they were at the house….

Shaking his head back and forth, Joe ran his fingernails over his scalp before scratching the back of his neck before he let out a yawn. He just knew that the day would be even longer. If he wasn't already late, he would've stopped off for some coffee. It was times like these he wished Jitters delivered. It wasn't uncommon for Barry to be late to work, but now Captain Singh had to deal with the both of them running behind their usual schedule.

"Hold on a second, Barry," Joe said, reaching for the young adult's arm when he heard the seat belt unbuckle with a click.

"Sure." Barry gave him a curious look as he slammed the open passenger door shut. "What's going on, Joe?" Barry asked.

"You haven't said much about what went on last night," Joe replied. Barry pressed his lips together, shifting his gaze out the front windshield. "You were able to fend off the Reverse-Flash again. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, Joe, I'm fine," Barry replied in his tired, groggy voice. "I'm the same as when you asked me last night." He lifted his hand when Joe opened his mouth to explain himself. "I really am ok. I just…I keep thinking that somehow I get back to that night. I just don't understand it."

"Ha." Understanding was something Joe was still working out when it came to anything STAR Labs related. "Welcome to the club."

"Joe, I can go back and change things," Barry said, rubbing his hands together. A look of excitement crossed his face as he turned in his seat to face Joe. "Somehow, I wind up back at my house. Somehow I'm in two places at one time and I'm going to learn how I did that and I will save my mom." He let out a long sigh. "I can save her, Joe. Then, I won't just be dreaming about what it'd be like if mom was still here."

"Well…you wouldn't be living with me for one thing," Joe pointed out to him. "You wouldn't have had to move in with me and Iris at all."

"Well…yeah," Barry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "And my dad wouldn't be in jail, and—and maybe Iris and I would be together. I mean, if I never fell into a coma, maybe they wouldn't have bonded so much."

"Only, even if you went back to save your mom, that wouldn't stop Dr. Wells from creating his particle accelerator," Joe agreed. "Maybe there would still be the accident and you would still gain your abilities."

"At least I would still be friends with Cisco and Caitlin," Barry said, his mouth twisting to the side just slightly. "And, I'd still be able to meet Dr. Wells."

"And Chyer might still pass away and Eddie would still become my partner." Joe reached out a hand and grasped the steering wheel of his car, drumming the wheel with the side of his thumbs. "Eddie and Iris would still meet and could quite possibly, and still annoyingly, fall in love." Barry gave him an odd look. "I'm just saying that you could change one thing, but everything else could turn out the same way."

"I get the feeling that there's another point to your bringing this up," Barry said after a moment of silence, his eyes narrowing just slightly.

"I don't know what's scarier," Joe commented after a moment of silence, "how perceptive you are, how Averey can read people's faces or both." He gazed out at the street, watching people walk up and down the street during the morning commute. "That's what I wanted to talk about."

"I knew it," Barry said. Joe looked over at him. Barry settled back in his seat, chin lifted just slightly, looking at Joe out of the corner of his eye. "Look, Joe, I'm not in the mood for a lecture."

"It's not a lecture."

"Good."

"It's just a fatherly talk in a stern voice."

Barry's eyes closed briefly as he let out a quiet laugh. "I knew it." Scratching at the side of his head, he lifted his eyebrows in a silent suggestion for Joe to start talking before he dropped his hand down onto his thigh. Once Joe was sure he had Barry's attention, did Joe start talking.

"You went below the belt with your jail comment last night," Joe commented.

"Why does everyone think I'm the one in the wrong?" Barry asked, sounding tired. "Am I not allowed to be angry?"

"You have every right to feel how you feel," Joe explained. He lifted his hands and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not saying you're not; it's understandably a lot to take in. It is not ok, however, to be disrespectful. I know you wouldn't talk to me like that, or anyone else."

"Yeah, but Joe—"

"That was not the man I raised for the past 14 years," Joe added. "I am immensely proud of the man you've become because of how compassionate, brave, and protecting you are. But, I am _not _proud of how you've handled this whole situation."

Barry bowed his head. Even as a kid, if there was one thing Joe didn't like invoking from his parents, it was the feeling of disappointment. Anger was easy to get through in comparison. As an adult, he hated feeling that disappointment for his kid (or in this case, foster child) let alone conveying it.

"Nobody's perfect, Bare. I know you know that. Your parents weren't either. It's not going to hurt your mom's or your dad's memory to be mad at them. But don't take your anger at them out on Averey just because she's the only one around. Your being 'whammied' makes you a bit more open with your feelings, which on one hand I am happy to see you expressing because you can bottle things up inside, but you need to learn how to convey them respectfully."

"I guess," Barry muttered.

"If the roles were switched, and Iris had to live with you and your parents, I sure as hell would hope they'd teach her to respect everyone that wanted to be a part of her life. In fact, I know that they would. Nora and Henry are some of the most selfless people I've ever met in my life and I was glad I could call them my best friends. And, in the grand scheme of things, Averey is the only part of your immediate family you have left."

Joe watched as Barry's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. His lips formed a thin line, but he didn't say anything else."Or maybe it's because it's another part of your family life you can't control." Barry looked over at Joe out of the corner of his eyes. "She didn't ask for any of this, much like you didn't either. Not what happened to your mom, or your dad, or getting these powers. But, you've learned to accept your abilities and are using it to help others." He reached out a hand and gently squeezed Barry's shoulder. "For _that_, I _am _proud."

Barry nodded his head, loudly sniffing. He lifted a hand and placed it on top of Joe's, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know with everything, you've had people left and right telling you how to feel or act," Joe said to Barry, "but whenever you can, find some time to figure things out for yourself. Whenever you're ready and need someone to listen, I'm always here."

"I know," Barry replied, swallowing thickly. "Thanks."

Joe chuckled. "See?" he said and Barry gave him a confused look. "Not much of a lecture, right?"

Barry let out a loud, single "Ha!" before he opened the passenger side door. "No, but I'm sure I'm going to get one from Singh anyway," he replied. "Might as well get it over with."

"Mmmhmm." Joe climbed out of the car, remembering to grab his keys and lock the door behind him. He patted Barry on the back as they crossed the parking lot and made their way into the building.

"Oh, Detective West." The man sitting behind the front desk, waved to get Joe's attention. "Captain Singh has been asking for you since you he got in this morning. He wants to see you in his office right away."

Joe made a face before patting his pockets for his work phone. Retrieving it from his breast pocket he groaned, realizing he hadn't turned it on. "Oh, shoot," he muttered before tapping his hand on the wooden, circular desk in thanks. "Come on, Barry."

"This can't be good," Barry commented, following Joe to the elevator. "Suddenly, I feel like I'm being called into the principal's office."

"Oh, you remember how that feels, huh?" Joe asked, calling for the elevator. Barry rolled his eyes as the doors slid open with a chime and they stepped inside.

"One science experiment gone wrong and you're branded for life," Barry commented as they were lifted to their floor.

"People's feet were stained green for three weeks, Bare," Joe reminded him. Barry shrugged as he reached into his pocket for his own ringing cell phone. "Aren't you going to get that? It's been ringing since this morning."

"Oh, it's Linda Park," Barry replied as he glanced at the screen. "She's been wanting to meet with me for a follow up for Iris's article to talk about STAR Labs." He let out a sigh. "I just haven't had the time."

"Mmhmm."

"What? It's true." Joe gave him a pointed look. Ok," Barry said, making a face at him, "I'm just worried about what she's going to ask."

"You're going to have to tell her one way or another, Barry," Joe replied, "either you do it or you don't." He gave Barry a half smile. "Although, something tells me she's not just asking you for an article."

"What do you mean?" Barry asked, giving him a confused look.

"From what I've heard from Iris, Linda took a job at CCPN as a sports writer," Joe explained. "Last I checked, science didn't belong in the sports section. I mean, not unless she's trying to find the chemical components of steroids."

"Come on, Joe," Barry objected, "she's just doing her job. She was assigned to help Iris with the article."

"Sure." Joe shook his head, chuckling. His laughter quickly died as the elevators slid open and he watched as people went rushing up and down the stairs and back and forth across the floor, talking over each other and waving papers. "What the-?"

"Joe!" Eddie hurried over to his partner, a grim look on his face. "We've got a lot on our plates today and Captain Singh is _not _happy."

"What else is new," Barry said, looking around at everybody, his jaw slack. "What happened?"

Eddie put his hands on his hips, bowing his head just slightly as he sighed. "There was a murder late last night," he replied. "It wasn't called in until early this morning. But, uh…" Joe watched, his heart suddenly hammering in his chest, as a pained expression came to the younger detective's face. "The woman that, uh, that now owns the Allen home…her body was found this morning." He motioned towards his heart be lifting a hand to his mouth. "She was found stabbed in the heart."

"W-what?" Barry asked.

Joe suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"It's what I've been told," Eddie said, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Captain Singh has a case for us, he was waiting until—"

"Let's not keeping him waiting any longer, huh?" Joe said, sidestepping Eddie.

"Uh, sure."

Barry stuck close to Joe's side. "It had to have been _him_," he said quietly into Joe's ear. "It's just like what happened to my mom. No one else could have done it."

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out," Joe reassured him, making his way around frantic people to reach Captain' Singh's door. He only got snippets of conversation as he slipped past, but the word, "Morgue" was brought up a lot. Rapping his knuckles on the window to his boss's door, Joe used his other hand to stroke his chin. He knew Barry was right.

There was no one else who would pull off the same kind of murder twice in one house after Barry slipped through his fingers a second time. He may not know why the Reverse-Flash killed Nora in the first place, but this was a warning.

Joe snapped back to attention when his boss's door was pulled open so roughly, the blinds smacked against the window. Joe, Barry, and Eddie slipped into the room, and Eddie closed the door behind him. "Normally, I'd get right into why you're late but we have bigger problems," Captain Singh said in a tight voice as he took his position behind his desk. "We'll discuss that later, believe you me."

"Yes, Captain," Joe agreed with a nod of his head. "It won't happen again."

Despite the tense feeling in the air, Captain Singh chuckled. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Joe," he commented. "Nevertheless, you're here now and I need you on this case." He reached towards the laptop that sat on the corner of his desk and slapped the spacebar with his thumb. There was a moment of silence before a gruff voice, and a voice full of fear started playing.

Joe listened as the demanding voice boomed through the speaker on the computer. His heart sank as his name was heard over the recording as the man who killed Clyde Mardon. Anguished screams split the air before Captain Singh turned off the recording.

"Two murders in one night?" Eddie asked, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Here I thought all the metahumans were the problem in the city now."

"Nevertheless, Mayor Bellows has indicated that this is a high priority case," his boss explained. "The strange thing was, the deceased, in this case the coroner, was found dead this morning surrounded by ice and water. The sprinkler systems were never touched."

"Stranger things have happened in this city," Barry said in a somber tone.

"No kidding," Captain Singh replied, deadpan.

"So, this could be Snart," Eddie replied. "I mean, no one has been able to find him yet and he _does _have that cold gun."

"Don't remind me," Captain Singh muttered.

"No, it's not Snart," Joe said quietly. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think. That voice sounded so familiar to him. When was the last time he had heard it? The coroner had named him in the death of the man's brother. That's it. He opened his eyes, snapping his fingers. "It was Mark Mardon; Clyde's brother."

"Son of a bitch," Captain Singh said, his voice barely above a whisper. He briefly closed his eyes. "Ok. Ok, I want all of you down there right now; get as much evidence as you can."

"Yes, sir," Barry replied.

"We'll head out right now," Eddie added as he made his way to the door.

"And, West, Allen, I don't want you anywhere near the Sherry Covington case," Captain Singh called after the three men. "I know you have some personal history with that house." Captain Singh's hardened gaze softened into a look of compassion. "And I am sorry for what happened to your mother, Barry. I'm sorry you had to be the one to witness what had occurred that night. I just worry there's too much personal interest there."

Joe pressed his lips together, willing himself not to look over at Barry. "Yes, sir," he said with a nod of his head. If only he knew just how connected they already were to the case. She might not even be dead if they weren't there. The Reverse-Flash had warned him to stay away before; what would he do now?

* * *

_Ethan: _I always had the feeling that Eddie was jealous of the Flash to some extent and decided to put it here. Overall, I think he just felt like he couldn't compare to someone with abilities the Flash has so he tried to do as much as he could, if not more, as a police detective. Don't worry, I had them not go eat for a specific reason. There is a bit of complexity that is brewing with Iris, Eddie, and Averey that builds and will be touched on later.

_Guest: _I'm glad you liked it. I had that idea of them getting to kno each other better for a little while and was gad to find a place to put it in.


	30. I Think I Heard a Wing Flap

**-Chapter Thirty-**

**"I Think I Heard a Wing Flap"**

* * *

"Are you ok?"

Caitlin blinked rapidly before pushing Cisco's snapping fingers away from her face. "Yes," she replied with as much sincerity she could muster. "Why?"

Cisco rolled his eyes as he spun in his chair to face her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well first off, I think you'll leave at the end of the day with permanent teeth marks in your lip," he commented and Caitlin stopped chewing on her bottom lip. Dragging the pad of her finger across her bottom lip she felt two imprints from her front teeth. "And second, you're more jittery than…well, after you drink something from Jitters." Caitlin let out a long sigh through her nose. Cisco's eyes lit up and he shuffled closer in his chair. "This is juicy, isn't it?"

Caitlin gave him a pointed stare. "You're really enjoying this aren't you?" she asked.

"Hey," Cisco said putting his hands up defensively, "there hasn't been any work gossip about you around here in a while."

"Yeah, well—wait, wait, wait," Caitlin said waving her hands in the air. "What do you mean 'work gossip about me'?"

Cisco pressed his lips together, his eyes darting around the room. Caitlin crossed her arms over her chest, staring hard at him. "Well, I can see I can't talk myself out of this one," Cisco declared. "You and Ronnie were the topic of conversation a lot. In fact, people had a betting pool going about when he'd _finally _ask you to marry him."

"You had a bet going? About me and Ronnie?" Caitlin asked, stung. "And when we'd get _engaged_? Cisco!"

Cisco made a popping sound with his mouth. "The most important thing," he said with a sheepish smile, "is that I won."

"Cisco," Caitlin said in a dark tone.

"_And _the money ended up going to your birthday gift that year," Cisco explained.

"Oh, the spa package," Caitlin asked, brightening. Boy, did she need that spa day. Dr. Wells had insisted they work faster and harder to get the particle accelerator done by December. Everybody was working as late as they could in their own areas of expertise. "Wait. How much exactly did you win?"

Cisco was silent for a moment before he stuck his finger in the air. "That's not what's important," he insisted.

"_Cisco_!"

"What is, is that something has made you zone out more than I've ever seen. More than that time you ran a cart over my foot because you didn't see me when you—"

"I've apologized for that _and _that bruise on your foot didn't last long," Caitlin said, interrupting him. Cisco opened his mouth to protest. "_And _I always went to Big Belly Burger whenever you asked to get you your usual order because you couldn't hobble around fast enough on your crutches."

"Ok, good point," Cisco said, clasping his hands in his lap. "So, what's up?"

"I did something stupid," Caitlin groaned putting her face into her hands for a brief moment.

"_Really_?" Cisco asked, an excited look appearing on his face. He started making the sound of an alarm. "Whoop, whoop. You hear that? That's my gossip detector. This is something good."

Caitlin was taken aback by the sudden burst of elation. "Why is that exciting, exactly?" she asked and Cisco snorted.

"Caitlin, you're, like, that kid in school who sits up front and organizes their pens and pencils by size, color, and the sharpness of their tips," Cisco replied.

"And you would be?" Caitlin pressed and Cisco grinned.

"The girl's best friend who is equally smart and handsome," Cisco said, puffing out his chest, adjusting his shirt collar, "but also knows how to keep people laughing." Caitlin shook her head, rolling her eyes. "So, what stupid thing did you do?"

Caitlin scrunched up her face and clenched her teeth together. In this very moment she had hated even bringing up the topic no matter how trusting of Cisco she was. He was right; she was the smart, goody two shoes that did no wrong. All throughout her years at school she was the one teachers and professors raved about her smarts, good work ethics, and overall good citizenship while other students made fun of her for it. How would any of them react now?

"Caiiiit."

"I…might have…_maybe_…kissed Dr. Wells?" Caitlin said quietly. At the same time, trying to force the words out of her mouth as fast as possible. Silence and a dropped jaw was Cisco's response. "You're not going to say anything? Ugh, come on Cisco—_why are you laughing_?"

"I'm sorry," Cisco said, a hand flying up to cover his mouth between gasps of air that punctuated his laughter. "It's just...ahhhhahahahahaha" Caitlin felt her face heat up as Cisco started laughing all over again. "Whoo!" He wiped at the tears that collected in his eyes. "Ok, I'm sorry. You wanted me to be shocked, I can do that."

"Cisco," Caitlin said, shaking her head back and forth, laughing. "Just…what do you think?"

Cisco shrugged. "The guy's a handsome dude, I'm not afraid to admit it," he replied. "A lot of the girls working here liked him at one point or another. That didn't leave _me _feeling that confident about myself but whatever."

Caitlin chuckled, shaking her head. "So, what should I do?" she asked.

"Well," Cisco said, crossing his arms over his chest, "you've both lost someone important to you. I think that's why Dr. Wells wants to do as much as he can to help you get Ronnie back to normal."

"Wherever he is," Caitlin muttered, twisting a lock of her hair around her finger before pulling the ends towards her mouth.

"Stop." Cisco leaned forward and knocked her hand away. "_Don't _make me show you that video again." He shuddered. "I don't know how people can stand having cats coughing up hairballs all around the house." He shook his hair out of his face. "Plus, chewing hair isn't that attractive."

"Get serious, Cisco," Caitlin groaned.

"I am!" he insisted. Caitlin rolled her eyes and he made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Ok, look; you can't help who you become attracted to. You both love science and you have that hot doctor/nurse thing going on." Cisco laughed, pulling his legs up into his chair as Caitlin kicked at him. "Cait, I don't have a problem with you being happy. If you think you can be happy with Wells, be my guest." A then made a face. "Just don't make out in front of me or something. I already had enough of that with you and Ronnie."

"Hey!"

Cisco grabbed onto the counter of the computers, and pushed himself backwards, away from her Caitlin's kicking range. "Just go for it," he suggested. "In fact, why don't you take him out for coffee? You'd be doing me a huge favor."

"How so?" Caitlin asked. Cisco opened and closed his mouth before lifting a hand to scratch the back of his head. "I can always tell when you're keeping something from me."

Cisco snorted before letting out a high pitched, "Whaaaat?" He waved his hand in the air, giving a toothy grin. "No, no, that's not it." Caitlin lifted an eyebrow and Cisco's smile faded. "Ok, listen. Joe has reason to believe that…Wells was involved with Barry's mom's murder."

"Dr. Wells didn't even know Barry back then," Caitlin said, blinking repeatedly at the statement. "He couldn't be involved."

"I think it's kind of out there, too, but dealing with metahumans, what isn't?" Cisco asked. Caitlin pressed her lips together. He had a point. But, this was their boss they were talking about; the only guy who had given either of them a shot in the field of science when others had passed them up. He was there for them when no one else was and they were doing the same thing for him now. "I know this is hard, but…it doesn't hurt to cover our bases. We're scientists, it's what we do."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Caitlin protested, shaking her head back and forth. "We can't go behind his back."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Cisco replied. "Besides, I've been looking to find some time to understand why the Reverse-Flash was able to break out of the force field we made and hurt our boss." He hit his knees with his hands. "We've already messed up enough with the particle accelerator, and if the Reverse-Flash hadn't gotten out, those police officers wouldn't have been killed and Dr. Wells wouldn't have been injured in the first place."

"Cisco, you can't keep blaming yourself for that," Caitlin said. "It wasn't your fault and we do make mistakes sometimes."

"Yeah, but it was a big mistake both times," Cisco pointed out, running a hand over his face.

"I know." Over the year, Caitlin hated seeing the periods where Cisco's enthusiasm for their work disappeared. She knew he didn't have a great bond with his family despite that, he tried his hardest to be successful in his career to rub it in their faces. He wouldn't ever say that out loud, but she knew his family life was complicated. "Just, please, help me out, Cait." He stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Pleeease?"

"Oh, don't give me that look." She was a sucker for the puppy-dog pout. Ronnie was the only other person that could successfully use it on her to get his way on things. Which was a lot of the time.

"The next three times we go get Fro-Yo I'll pay," Cisco offered still with his pout. "And I'll give you the money for the coffees."

"All right, all right," Caitlin said with a sigh. "But, I'm holding you to the Fro-Yo."

"My word is good," Cisco said, putting a hand up in the air, laying the other over his heart. "Thanks."

"Sure." Her stomach did a flip. It wasn't a date, not exactly, just two co-workers going out for coffee. Still, she couldn't ignore the fact that whenever the two of them were alone together, there was some sort of butterflies that appeared in her stomach. "Good luck."

"You too. But, I hope I'm wrong."

Caitlin made a humming sound. "Me too." She gathered her belongings before going to look for her boss. After searching the rooms closest to the Cortex, she started looking further in STAR Labs, nearly running right into him as he rounded the corner in the opposite direction. "Oh!"

"I apologize," Dr. Wells said, grasping her arms to stop her from falling on top of him. "I didn't see you." In the dim lighting of the hallway, she could see the man's lips part into a half smile of amusement. "They do say as you get older, your night vision worsens."

"You're not that old," Caitlin protested.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but being stuck in this chair hasn't helped much," Dr. Wells replied. He removed his hands from her arms—Caitlin felt his fingertips leave a burning feeling as he did so—and clasped his hands in his lap. "Caitlin, were you looking for me?"

"I—yes," Caitlin replied. She put a smile to her face. "I just wondered if you'd like to join me for some coffee."

* * *

Barry muttered under his breath as his eyes darted from point to point in his timeline on the rolling corkboard in his lab. As if he could really concentrate when he knew the Reverse-Flash was out there somewhere, preparing his next attack. He never thought his fascination with his mom's own case would cause this kind of reaction from the Reverse-Flash.

"At least in this case, no one is left parentless," Barry said to himself as he moved to tack up the clipping from the newspaper that morning. 'ANOTHER SLAYING AT SIGHT OF MURDER' stared back at him under the 2015 place card he had placed on the board moments before. _It may be the only bright side to all of this. _

"Barry?"

Hearing Iris's voice, Barry quickly grasped the end of the red string hanging off the board and circled it around the newest tacked item he placed on the board. He quickly covered the board before moving to make himself look busy, sorting through piles and piles of paper.

"Bare?"

"In here, Iris," Barry called back. Iris's heels clacked on the floor as she neared before she stepped into his lab.

"Eddie called me and told me to see how you were doing," Iris explained. Barry blinked once, twice, three times before slowly turning his head to look at her. She must've have seen through the emotionless face he was trying to make—she had always been able to do it before, so he didn't know why he bothered trying—as she quickly added, "And I wanted to check up on you myself. You didn't come in for your usual late coffee this morning." Her eyes searched his for an explanation. "What's going on?"

"You work at the paper and you don't know?" he asked, confused.

Iris let out an odd laugh. "I'm excited that I have the opportunity working there, but I'd be surprised if any piece of information was relayed directly to me that _doesn't _have anything to do with the Flash," she commented. "Or the Reverse-Flash."

"You might hear something because I'm sure the Reverse-Flash is involved," Barry said, lifting a hand to scratch at his eyebrow. He cleared his throat and let out a sigh. "There was a murder last night," Barry said, putting the stack of paper in his hands back in the box it came from. "Sherry Covington—the woman who was living at my old house—she was murdered." He heard Iris gasp. "She was stabbed through the heart, just like my mom."

"Oh my gosh," Iris put a hand over her mouth before stepping over towards him. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "Barry, I'm so sorry."

"Me too," Barry said, hugging her back. _If I had just defeated the Reverse-Flash before, nothing like this would ever happen. _He removed his arms from around her and

"And you think the Reverse-Flash has something to do with it?" Iris asked.

"Unless there's a copy cat killer out there," Barry replied, "yes, I think so." He tried to put the best smile he could muster onto his face. "So you'll be busy at the paper, Miss West."

"You don't have to do that," Iris said, shaking her head.

"Do what?" Barry asked, feigning innocence. Not that it'd do much good, Iris knew him really well. She knew when to push him on issues, when to leave him alone and when he was withholding information from her. "I'm serious. I'm not too happy on what you're covering at the Picture News, but it's a great opportunity for you."

"Barry, just feel how you want to feel," Iris replied. "You know I can always tell when you're not being honest with me." She laughed quietly. "Like the time you tried to deny eating all those cookies I made that afternoon I decided I was going to be a baker."

"Couldn't ever get much by you could I?" Barry asked in a low tone. He looked over at his best friend and watched as Iris chewed on her bottom lip, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Some things you could, I guess," Iris replied, brushing her hair back behind her ears. "All those years and I had no idea." She gently hit his shoulder. "With all those other girls, like Becky Cooper for example, you could barely get a word out. But with me…we can talk about everything."

"I'm just comfortable around you, that's all," Barry said with a shrug. He then gave her a pointed look. "And why do you always bring up Becky like that?"

"Like what?" Iris asked, widening her eyes in innocence.

"Like you're one step away from 'ooooh-ing'," Barry explained, making the high-pitched childish taunting call. He could feel himself smile. "What are you, five?"

"Maybe." Iris smirked. She chuckled. "If I was five, I'd say I think Linda _like_-likes you." Barry gave her a confused look. "She's been asking about you non-stop since she met you at Mercury Labs. It's kind of cute."

"Yeah, she's been asking me for a follow up interview," Barry replied, sidestepping Iris and her knowing smile. The conversation was getting a bit too personal. But, he was still able to talk to her about anything, right? He needed to get back to work; he needed to analyze…something. Or something. He was drawing a blank. Captain Singh needed to see something at the end of the day, and he couldn't give him anything…again. "I just haven't had the time. I'm really busy here; Captain Singh has us covering a lot."

"I tried explaining to her that you were busy, especially with the metahumans running around and everything," Iris explained. "But, Linda's a bit of a go getter."

"Hmmm, sounds like someone I know," Barry said, giving Iris a pointed look. Iris smiled. "I always liked that about you, you know. When it wasn't driving me crazy, anyway. You always got me into some kind of trouble."

"_I _got _you_ into trouble?" Iris asked with a scoff. "Whose idea was it to take dad's car out for a joy ride?"

Barry glanced towards the door to his laboratory, making a harsh shushing sound with his mouth. Despite having the place all to himself on the top floor of the precinct, it wasn't exactly the most private place. Joe wasn't too happy to pick them up late at night where his convertible was wrapped around a tree, but he was glad they were safe. That didn't deter him from chewing them out about joyriding—at least that's what they told him they were doing.

"You're the one who wanted to go to that party so badly," Barry said quietly, keeping his gaze on the door for a moment before looking back at Iris. "I just went along to make sure you got home ok."

"I wanted to go to the party because you were so down in the dumps and I just wanted you to have some fun," Iris protested. She put her hands up defensively. "You were the one who, for the first time in his life, wanted to get home as quickly as possible."

Ignoring the dig at his perpetual lateness, Barry said, "I always have fun with you, Iris," He spun in a circle looking for something, anything to work on.

"Me too, Bare." Iris clasped her hands together in front of her. "I've missed hanging out like we used to. I know it's been really crazy lately, but, it's been a while since we've hung out and had some time to just relax. You know, catch up and hang out." Scratching the back of her head she added, "Just you and me."

"Iris—"

"Not that I want you to just sweep any old memories about your mom under the rug," Iris quickly added.

"No, of course not," Barry insisted. "I mean, I'd like to do that, too." Running both hands over his face, and over the top of his head, he locked his fingers behind his head. "You're the only person who ever really listened to me about what happened with my mom." A smile came to his face. "And I'm _so _grateful for that, Iris. I'm glad I had you."

"You still do," Iris said, stepping closer to him. She placed a hand on his arm, her thumb rubbing small circles around his elbow. "And you always will." Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a tight hug. "That's what best friends are for."

"Right." Barry returned her embrace. "Of course."

He couldn't deny that she just felt right in his arms; she was the perfect height for the crown of her head to fit under his chin. She was perfect for him and yet he still couldn't tell the one person he trusted the most in the world his most guarded secret. With her position on the newspaper all about keeping track of the Flash's whereabouts, there was no way he could tell her. It was too risky and she'd be too close to the danger in Central City. As much as he hated it, he knew he had to continue to keep his distance from her.

"Barry."

Barry had stepped back out of Iris's arms before tilting his head down to lock eyes with her. She was too close and it was scary but exciting all at the same time. He found himself drawn to her and felt himself leaning in, closer, and closer. His eyes slowly closed, blurring his vision. But one thing stood out to him.

"Oh, my god," he mumbled, shattering the moment as his gaze landed on his evidence.

"Oh, my god," Iris repeated, practically leaping away from him. She put a hand to her forehead, cheeks blooming a dark red. "I shouldn't of done that."

"What? I mean, yeah, I mean…." Barry shook his head back and forth. "Go get Eddie."

"_What_?"

"And Joe and Captain Singh," he continued, walking over to the case. He reached for the shelves beside the case and removed a set of latex gloves so quickly that the box fell to the floor with a clatter. "Now!"

"I'm going, I'm going."

Iris rushed out of Barry's lab as he snapped the gloves into place. Creaking open the door to the glass case, he reached inside for the four playing cards sitting innocently on the shelf. Black marks caught his attention and upon closer inspection, he realized it was handwriting.

"Do you remember these?" he read the curly writing on the cards aloud. His stomach clenched. He remembered them all right. Captain Singh still had the Commissioner on his case for the theft of a central police department. In a way, they were lucky; only evidence was stolen instead of something from the gun room. He had questioned himself, wondering if his preoccupation with STAR Labs had caused him to misplace the evidence in the first place.

"What's going on, Allen?" Captain Singh asked, looking and sounding tired and stressed as he came marching into the lab. Joe and Eddie followed behind him, looking curious.

Barry silently turned the cards around to face his co-workers. "Are those what I think they are?" Joe asked, pointing towards the cards in Barry's hand.

Eddie silently stepped closer to Barry, a dark look on his face. "Where did you find them?" he asked. He reached for the cards and Barry kicked the box of latex gloves towards him. Eddie quickly snapped on a pair before gloves before taking the evidence out of Barry's hands.

"In the evidence case," Barry replied. "Iris and I were talking and I just noticed them." He felt his face heat up and tried his hardest to not look in Iris's direction. She stepped up behind her boyfriend and rubbed circles with her hand in the small of her back, avoiding Barry's gaze.

"They were just there?" Captain Singh asked. "You're sure you didn't leave anything in your lab unlocked?" At Barry's words of agreement, he cursed under his breath. "I just don't understand this. All right, we're going to keep this between us here." He rounded on Iris, giving her a hard stare. "I don't want to read this as the next headline in the paper."

"I wouldn't ever do that, Captain," Iris protested. "This is strictly off the record."

"Ok." Captain Singh nodded after a long pause of silence, staring at Iris. "Ok, this is what we're going to do. We're going to watch the security footage to see how this could have happened." He put a hand over his mouth for a moment. "And then we'll figure out what to do next."

"Captain," Eddie spoke up. "If it's all right with you, I have someone I want to ask a few questions about this."

"You think they could be involved somehow?" Captain Singh asked.

"I hope not," Eddie replied. "But it won't hurt to ask."

"Ok, get going," Captain Singh agreed with a nod of his head, waving his hand in the air. "Come back here as soon as you're done. Joe, please go with him." Joe nodded his head and gave Iris a hug and a kiss goodbye.

"Be careful," Iris said to her father before kissing Eddie on the cheek—Barry quickly turned his head to miss the sign of affection. "That goes to both of you." She licked her lips, glancing briefly at Captain Singh before shifting her dark gaze back over at him. Before she could say anything, Captain Singh called for him.

"Allen," Captain Singh barked. "Let's go. Time's wasting and we have to figure this out."

"Um, yes sir," Barry said, keeping his eyes on Iris. "Right behind you." With one last look, Barry followed his boss out of his laboratory.

* * *

A blast of cool air hit Eddie in the face as he strode through the foyer of CC Jitters. In a few quick steps, he was at the counter where Averey was pushing two to go cups in his direction with his and Joe's names scrawled on the coffee cozies.

"Cappuccino with one sugar," Averey recited, "and a Mocha Frappuccino. Just the way you two like it."

"I—we haven't even ordered yet," Eddie said, blinking, momentarily forgetting why he was there.

"You order the same thing every day," Averey pointed out to him. She then shrugged her shoulders. "I saw you coming. Plus, Joe didn't come in earlier, so I thought he'd come in eventually."

"Thanks, Averey." Joe smiled as he took the coffee cup.

"How is it that you've managed to wind up at most crime scenes in this city as of late?" Eddie asked, getting to the point, leaving his drink untouched. He watched as the barista recoiled at the sudden question.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Averey blinked repeatedly, putting her hands in the air. She looked him over, her lips twitching just slightly. Even if he didn't have years of training, he could see the small bit of fear in her eyes despite trying to mask it with her curiosity. "You right?"

Eddie briefly closed his eyes, putting a smile on his face. "Can you get some time off work? I—_we _need to ask you some questions," he said. "It's important."

"Calm down, partner," Joe said, patting Eddie on the shoulder. Giving Averey an apologetic smile, he glanced around the room. "Is there any way you could take a few minutes off to answer our questions?"

"Iiiiii," Averey stalled holding out the word. Her eyes darted around the room before they settled back on Eddie as she nodded. "I need to tell the manager first, but I'm sure it's ok." Averey moved to walk away but stopped before indicating the two cups on the counter. "Do you want the coffees or no?"

"Yes, thanks," Joe said, answering Eddie before he could say anything. Eddie turned to give his partner a look of annoyance as Joe grabbed the coffee cup and shoved it into his hands. "Drink the damn coffee. It might calm you down."

"Really?" Eddie asked, deadpan, lifting an eyebrow. "Because all of the caffeine—"

"I heard what I said," Joe muttered before lifting his coffee cup to his lips. "Just do it."

Eddie let out a sigh before doing as he was told. He didn't need the extra caffeine. All of the nerves in his body were shooting through every inch of his body, leaving a tingling feeling at the tips of his fingers and toes and at the crown of his head. Drumming his fingers on the side of his to go cup, he tapped his foot on the flooring of the coffee shop.

It was all finally coming together, he could just feel it. She suddenly comes to Central City and the Royal Flush Gang gets a new member. Twice, Jitters had been trashed and both times the Australian girl was present. And she was the one to find the charred body, and Joe had her at Dr. Wells's place for…some reason he still didn't understand.

"Why was she there?" Eddie asked in a low voice, turning towards Joe who pulled a couple dollar bills out of his wallet, setting it down on the counter. "Averey. At Wells's house."

"I already told you, she was helping me," Joe replied, repeating his previous words.

"With what?" Eddie pressed. Joe's lips twitched as he slid his wallet back into his pocket with a sigh. He recognized that sigh; the one where he was asking too many questions that he wasn't going to get answers to. "I mean, I know Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco had reasons to be there."

"Averey spends some time over at STAR Labs sometimes."

"Yeah, but—"

Averey walked back over to the two police detectives, untying the knot of her apron, and killing their conversation at the same time. "Tracey wants to talk to you two before you leave," she explained, setting her apron down onto the counter, nodding her thanks to the man standing behind the counter. "Tucker's covering me."

Shaking of his head sharply from left to right, Eddie tried to stave off the memories of the dark hallway, the flash of his gun's muzzle; the gurgling sound of his partner trying to breathe that crept in, invading his thoughts. _Just focus, Eddie._ "Great, so is there a place we can talk in private?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"Upstairs, or the roof," Averey explained. She crossed her arms over her chest and snapped her fingers. "We'd have to get keys from one of the managers for the roof, though."

"Upstairs is just fine," Joe said, nodding his head in the direction of the stairs. The three of them made their way up the stairs and Joe grabbed onto Eddie' arm, holding him back. "Be nice." Eddie lifted an eyebrow. "I've seen how you work; normally, I can commend you for going after answers, but you really can go overboard sometimes."

"Joe," Eddie said, slowly and deliberately, "I just want answers." His tone warning his partner to back off must have been evident as Joe slowly nodded, putting his hands up defensively. Letting out a breath of air in an annoyed huff, he stepped onto the landing behind Averey before moving to sit down at one of the empty tables. "Thanks."

"Sure," Averey replied, sitting down as well. Tilting back in her chair, she looked back and forth between the two detectives, rocking back and forth. "So, what's going on?" As Eddie and Joe retrieved a pen and memo pad from their pockets she paused in rocking. "Judging from the looks on your faces, I can guess, and I can reassure you that I'll cooperate."

"Good." Eddie gave her a brief smile. "Then this will go smoothly. Do you still live at 1248 Walnut Lane?" He tapped his pen against the pad of paper as Averey nodded (before giving a verbal response at the request of Joe). "And you live there with Casey Sawyer, Brent Williams, and Gavin Turner?"

"I…how'd you know that?" Averey asked.

"So, that's a 'yes'?"

"Those three have had some prior incidents in the past that we have record of," Joe explained, clearing his throat. "I recognized the address you had me drop you off at a while back and cross referenced with our databases. We also know they are currently employed at Mercury Labs and have reason to believe—given their positions at the laboratory—that they're the ones behind the leak."

Eddie watched as Averey briefly closed her eyes her shoulders lifting as she sucked in a deep breath of air. "You've asked me before if I was in trouble." Leaning forward in his seat, Eddie nodded in his head. "You're not going to like my answer." Eddie let out a huff of annoyance.

"Look, I know you are," he declared. "If you tell me one more time that you're not—"

"You're not going to like my answer, because the answer is 'yes', mate," Averey said, interrupting him.

"Oh." Eddie settled back in his chair, a scoff of disbelief expelling from his mouth. That was all he wanted to hear, and yet he still couldn't believe it. Or he didn't want to believe it. It's one thing to be sure of something and another to have it confirmed.

"What kind of trouble are we talking about?" Joe asked. Eddie didn't give her a chance to answer before he grabbed her arm, pulling it onto the table and turning her palm upwards to show the inside of her wrist to reveal the scarred, puffy figure eight on her skin.

"I saw it when you were in the hospital," Eddie said, filling in the silence. "You're in the gang; you're Eight."

Joe bowed his head, and asked quietly, "What did you do?"

"I had a hand in the Jitters robbery, and I've threatened Dr. McGee to keep quiet about the leaks, and I stole Dr. Wells's wedding ring, and a whole bunch of other stuff I don't remember," Averey replied before swallowing. "They say I've been helping them since I was at Belle Reve."

"I don't understand," Eddie said, releasing his grip on the Australian girl. "What does Belle Reve have anything to do with this?"

"I was a patient there. After the particle accelerator accident I was brought there; patient 97326. They experimented on me, all under General Eiling's orders. Not just me; a lot of people, as many as they could find and confirm that were affected by, and displayed abilities from the accident a year ago."

"You're…you're a—what do they call them?" Eddie asked, his mouth suddenly going dry. "Metahuman?" He watched as Joe shifted in his seat, suddenly becoming greatly interested in what it was he was writing in his memo book. "You knew? And you didn't tell me?" He threw his hands up in the air, where they hit the table with a _thunk. _"I thought we were partners. I thought you had my back!"

"I do, which is _why _I didn't tell you," Joe replied, suddenly sounding tired. "What does General Eiling have to do with this?"

"I don't know for sure, but whatever they're doing at Belle Reve, the Royal Flush Gang is working with them to make sure it's being funded and that they have a place to work." Averey twisted her fingers in her lap, her knee bouncing as she explained. "That's why they've been robbing places. Blackmailing Mercury Labs gives them a place to keep their data and to keep an eye on Dr. McGee to make sure she's not 'stepping out of line', I guess."

"You did all of this?" Eddie asked, his voice coming out of his mouth quieter then he intended. Anger and disappointment burned in his chest. "And you continued to lie to me when all I wanted to do was help? I offered you help so many times!" His voice cracked with emotion. "I tried to prove to you that you could trust me."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Averey asked. She dropped her chair to the floor. "Say 'no'?" She let out an odd laugh. "I couldn't just refuse, they're _threatening my family_. They—Gavin—he knows a lot of things. He knows my mum and dad, and where I live back home. He's the one behind dad's attack in Iron Heights. Gavin had video of it from inside. He has a really big pull there, he can make members behind bars do whatever it is he wants because he's at the King rank."

"How does he get his information?" Joe asked.

"He's a metahuman too," Averey explained. "He can collect data on people because of the DNA they leave behind on things." She nodded towards the table. "If he wanted, he could touch this table and know of the conversation we're having right now. He can remove DNA from a place as well. This was why you didn't find any fingerprints or anything at the Jitters robbery."

Eddie buried his face in his hands, pressing his elbows into the table top. He slowly shook his head back and forth moving faster and faster. He started speaking, "No, no, no, no, no," over and over again. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way. All he wanted was to avenge his former partner's death and all he was doing was digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole he wasn't sure he could crawl out of. He was warned so many times, but he thought he knew best.

"Finding the electrocuted man's body?" Eddie asked, lifting his head. He sounded as drained as he suddenly felt.

Averey bowed her head and muttered, "I just stumbled upon it. I swear, I was trying to find my way to Iron Heights and I just found it."

"Jitters robbery?"

"I helped steal the money. I don't remember it—"

"Dr. Wells's house?"

"We broke in to find something to pawn. I took his wedding ring. Hartley attacked that night, but we got out."

"Which was how you got those scratches on your palms," Joe said, stopping Eddie from continuing his barrage of questions.

"Yes."

"Why were you there?" Eddie asked.

"Because of my abilities, I can see things other people might not notice," Averey replied with a sigh, answering for the African-American man. "Joe wanted me to see if I could find anything that would help the investigation because I was able to find those letters between the escaped Iron Heights convict, Walker, and Belle Reve." Finally, she lifted her head. "I stuffed up, ok? I know you're mad—"

"I'm disappointed," Eddie said flatly, "in both of you." Joe silently blinked and Averey bowed her head. "Just tell me…how did you pay for Iris's new computer? Please, don't tell me you used stolen money."

"No, I didn't." Averey's eyes widened as she shook her head. "You have to believe me, I didn't. I used my own money for it. I considered it, but I didn't." She lifted a shaking hand and slid her fingers through her hair. "Her computer breaking was my fault, too. I asked her to help me keep track of where the Reverse Flash had been spotted and he found out and threatened us. And…I was the one who stole those cards from Barry's evidence case that night. It was my initiation into the Royal Flush Gang."

"So, I suppose you were the one who put it back, too?" Eddie asked, reaching into the breast pocket of his coat. He gripped a plastic bag of playing cards in his hand before slapping it down onto the table. "Right?"

Averey tilted her head, peering down at the writing on the whites of the four cards: _Do you remember these? _"I memorized Gavin's handwriting and he had me write it and sneak them in because I had missed a call from him," she explained, pushing the cards back towards him. "At least that's what he said I had to do. I don't remember it."

"What do you mean you don't remember?" Eddie asked. "Either you did it or you didn't."

"I don't forget anything I see unless I don't see it," Averey replied. "It's part of my powers; I have photographic memory and I can zoom in and out on things like a camera, and I can temporarily blind people."

"Wait, what?" Joe asked. "I didn't know that."

"That still doesn't explain what you mean," Eddie replied.

"At Belle Reve, they've made this serum that can make you have lapses in memory for however long they need," Averey replied. She lifted a hand and massaged the back of her neck. "You function normally, but you don't have any recollection of what you've done; like when you black out drunk." She lifted her thumb to her mouth and started chewing on the nail. "The first nine months after the accident, I was constantly given that serum at Belle Reve. I don't know what I did, but apparently, it was enough for Gavin, Brent, and Casey to bring me into the Royal Flush Gang—officially, anyway. After it wore off, and I was living with them, I delivered packages to them from Metropolis; from Belle Reve I assume. Then I was branded."

"And you're sure of all of this?" Joe asked. "You said yourself you didn't remember everything you did."

"Like I said, I remember everything," Averey replied. "I may not have been there 100% at the time, but I still took it in with my eyes. I've been starting to remember things from those nine months. Just bits and pieces so far."

"And you can prove all of this?" Eddie asked.

"I set up a private side-blog and have been recording everything that they needed and made me do." Averey dropped her hand into her lap. "Figured once I got enough on 'em, I could turn it in to you guys. It's all there, password protected."

Eddie let out a long sigh. He had heard some crazy things in his career, but everything that had occurred once he arrived in Central City took the cake. "Ok, it's important that nobody knows that we talked. We can help you; but you'll have to act like everything's normal. If you want out, you'll have to fade out or else they'll know something's up."

"Ok, ok." Averey nodded repeatedly. "I do want out. Thank you. But, what's going to happen to me? Am I going to jail—_back _to jail?"

"Hopefully, no," Joe replied, exchanging looks with Eddie, who was getting to his feet. "You did cooperate with us. With everything you've kept track of, it could work in your favor. They _did_ threaten you with harm to your family. But, you still have that initial shoplifting charge against you."

"In the meantime, we're going to have to ask you to come down to the precinct to record an official statement from you," Eddie added. The sooner they got her words recorded, the sooner they could start the process of taking down the guys who plagued his daily thoughts. "I'm sure your manager won't mind."

"Eddie," Averey said, standing as well, "I'm sorry, mate."

Eddie didn't answer for a long moment, busying himself with making sure he had all of his belongings. "I know you are," he said, finally looking up at her. Only, she was staring out the window, a frown on her face. "What?"

"…It's not supposed to rain today," Averey said absentmindedly.

"Wait." Eddie lowered his pen and his notepad, shaking his head. "What?" Averey didn't answer and Eddie turned his head to look out the window, following her gaze. Only he couldn't see anything; just the tops of some of Central City's buildings and clouds dotting the sky.

"It's not supposed to rain today," Averey repeated, lifting her hand to point out the window. "Clouds get wispy when it's raining. It's headed in this direction." She tilted her head to the side, softly humming. "Clouds don't move east to west."

"Wait, wait, wait, you can see that?" Eddie asked. "I can only see buildings." He widened his eyes, peering at her. "You really are a metahuman aren't you?"

"You can't see anything else out there?" Joe asked, ignoring Eddie. Eddie clenched his hands into fists, holding them in front of his mouth. "A man?"

"No just the wacky weather," Averey replied, finally turning away from the window, "Why what's up? Who are you looking for?"

"Mark Mardon," Joe replied.

"Any relation to Clyde Mardon?" Averey asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"His brother," Joe said with a nod of his head. "He's got the attention of the police department and we have reason to believe he has the same abilities as Clyde." Eddie watched as he cleared his throat and straightened his tie, trying to appear nonchalant. But, he could read his partner; he saw the nervousness in Joe's eyes as he glanced out the window. He could hear the slight shaking to the tone of his voice when he said, "Given what you've just seen, we should get back to the precinct."

"And put more people in harm's way?" Eddie asked with a scoff.

"Better the police than innocent civilians," Joe said. "We may not fully be equipped or know exactly how to stop metahumans, but we can do some with our task force."

"You're right." There was no arguing with him, I mean they wouldn't have had a task force to try and capture metahumans if it wasn't for him. Sure, he had started the task force to try and capture the Flash, but now it was growing bigger than that with each metahuman that appeared in ton. "Let's go. Come on, Averey."

"Wait, right now?" Averey asked, glancing back out the window. She gave Joe a wide-eyed look.

"I know you're nervous about giving an official statement," Eddie said, parting his lips into a reassuring smile. "But, it'll be ok. Joe and I will be there. You just have to repeat what you said to us…and maybe Captain Singh."

"That's bloody reassuring," Averey said sarcastically, hiking an eyebrow. She momentarily placed a hand over her mouth and said quietly, "But, that's not what I meant."

"Um, it shouldn't take long," Joe said, leading the way down the stairs, pulling Averey with him. "We can have you in and out in no time."

"Caitlin!" Averey cried as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Oof." Eddie ran into Joe's back as he and Averey stopped suddenly at the bottom of the stairs. "What's going on now?"

"Caitlin," Averey said, walking up to the scientist standing at the Jitters counter. Caitlin grasped two coffees tightly in her hands, her gaze fixed on the seating area, jumping slightly as Averey placed a hand on her arm. "Why do I see an empty wheelchair?"

"Th—that's," Caitlin swallowed thickly, "that's what I've been trying to figure out." She turned fear-filled eyes towards the shorter girl. "Cisco asked me to invite him out, and I was just getting drinks and then…"

Eddie followed her gesture towards the tables and chairs in Jitters and spotted a familiar, empty wheelchair. "No way." Sure, there could be people on the streets that could breathe fire or be as fast as the Flash, but there was no logical explanation for someone to get up out of a wheelchair and walk away. "No, no. No one can just leave a wheelchair."

"Not unless they were faking an injury," Joe said, darkly, shaking his head. "Wells. I knew he couldn't be trusted."

"Joe, he's been helping Barry," Averey pointed out and Joe snorted.

"He _did _somehow escape Rathaway's attack at his home without any injury," Eddie pointed out. "And he knows so much about the metahumans, I mean he's helped us at the CCPD countless of times."

"No," Caitlin said with so much conviction Eddie wasn't sure if she was trying to convince them or herself. "I've seen his charts. I've helped him with his physical therapy." She set down the cups of coffee, her hands shaking. "There's no physical way he can move; he's paralyzed from the waist down." She hastily licked her lips. "H-He just wants to help, that's all. I mean, w-we caused all of this in the first place."

"And now we're going to stop it," Joe said firmly before turning towards Eddie. "Let's go, partner. We need to let Captain Singh know about Mardon and put out an APB on Dr. Wells."

Eddie opened his mouth to protest before he thought better of it and pressed his lips together, following his partner out of the coffee shop. Briefly glancing back into the coffee shop, he

"He might be after Barry," Joe replied, slamming his foot on the gas pedal, sending his car shooting backwards in reverse. Eddie's body shot forward before being held in place by the seat belt. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think he had something to do with Nora Allen's murder."

"Nothing's crazy to me anymore." Massaging his chest, Eddie settled back into his seat. He tightly gripped the arm rest of the passenger seat as Joe pulled into traffic. "I'll call Captain Singh." He reached into his pocket for his work phone. "Maybe we'll have enough time to get the Task Force ready and…what?" Looking up from his phone, Eddie spotted the look on Joe's face. He couldn't pinpoint the emotion but it put a sour feeling in his stomach.

"Something's wrong," Joe said after a moment of silence.

"Like what—"

With a loud groan, the car started rocking violently from side to side. With a _thud, _the side of Eddie's head collided with the window of the passenger seat. The tired squealed as they rolled on the wet pavement as it was pushed around the road. Heart pounding in his chest, he braced himself in his seat glancing out the window to try and figure out what was going on.

"STRAIGHTEN THE CAR!" Eddie bellowed. "STRAIGHTEN IT!"

"I'M TRYING!" Joe shouted back, his hands feverishly twisting the steering wheel back and forth. "WHERE DID ALL THIS WIND COME FROM?"

"IT MUST BE MARDON," Eddie shouted back.

His stomach flew into his throat as the odd feeling, a combination of flying and falling, suddenly surrounded him. Looking out the window, the pavement disappeared before it was replaced by the sky. A scream of pain and fear was pulled from his throat, mixing with Joe's as the car flipped and they were thrown around the cabin. The wind roared in his ears and he felt his face start to sting and burn as he was hit by dirt and bits of unidentified debris.

_Crash._

_Crash._

_Crunch._

And then there was silence.

Heart pounding in his chest, Eddie sat still for a long while, breathing in and out faster than he ever imagined he could. Heart ramming in his chest, he wondered if he was about to have a heart attack. Feeling hot and sick at the same time, his armpits flooded with sweat. Very, very slowly, he uncurled his fingers from where they clutched the safety bar…or something.

"Ohhhh." Cracking his eyes open, he found he was actually tightly gripping the steering wheel. He wasn't sitting upright anymore but stretched across the front row of seats. The front row of seats that was previously occupied by Joe who was no longer there. "Joe?" He could barely move. His seatbelt was pulled tight across his chest.

"Joe?" Eddie slowly moved his arm to his waist, his fingers brushing up against the buckle. With a _click_ the seatbelt retracted and Eddie let out a loud groan, clenching his teeth as gravity took over and he fell sideways onto the driver's seat, the armrest digging into his hip bone and stomach. "Ahhh, god."

Then all the pain rushed in. His body felt like it was on fire as it throbbed with each heart beat. "Jooooe!" His eyesight shimmered as tears of pain collected. Blinking through them, and peering out the windowless front windshield, he saw glass littering the roadway, glittering in the sunlight. But there was no sign of his partner.

"Come on, Eddie," he whispered to himself, "you can do this. You have to get out." Clenching his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, he used his bloody, scratched, and scraped fingers to grip the ground, bracing his weight on his forearms to slowly push himself up to a straighter position. As he did so, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and shoulder at the same time. "Son of a bitch."

Stomach lurching, he nearly collapsed as he reached up a hand—and cut his finger on something jagged. Eyes widening, Eddie felt around the chunk of glass that stuck out of the side of his neck. Swallowing thickly, he slowly pulled on it, and winced violently at the pain that shot through every inch of his body. "Owwwww."

Eyelids fluttering, head feeling heavy, Eddie tried to take in a steady breath of air. His hand shook a he tried to reach of his pocket for his phone. He had to call for help. _Iris. _He needed to see Iris. His blinking slowed and it took more effort to pry his eyes open, to move his arms, to form any string of thought.

"Iris."

Throat burning, he managed to choke out her name as he lifted his phone to his face. Sucking in a deep breath of air to prepare himself, he tightly squeezed his hand around the device, putting forth as much effort as he could. His faceplate lit up revealing a picture of himself and Iris, wrapped in an embrace, smiling warmly at the camera. Lips twitching upwards just slightly, Eddie smiled before the darkness closed it and he slumped in his car seat, his pain ebbing away.

* * *

Averey and Caitlin ran through the halls of STAR Labs, calling Cisco's name as they went. "Wait, wait, wait," Averey said, grabbing Caitlin's elbow as they hurried into the Cortex. "I need to get my suit."

"Averey, now's not the time," Caitlin said, gasping for air as she leaned against her abandoned computer chair.

Ignoring her friend, Averey set her bag down onto the table before taking quick steps over to her suit. As she did so, she did a quick surveillance of the room. She zoomed into each corner and darkened space of the Cortex, hr heart jumping with each abnormal shape until she retraced her vision enough for her to realize it was something as silly as a light fixture, or abandoned bag of Big Belly Burger.

"It might help," she replied in the strongest tone she could muster. "And it's ok, he's not in here." With shaky hands, Averey removed her suit from the metal mannequin in the Cortex. "But, I'm going to kill Cisco for leaving those Big Belly Burger bags in here." In her rush, she got the material stuck once, twice, three times before she forced herself to calm down enough to move the material smoothly.

"I can't believe this is happening," Caitlin said in a quiet voice.

Averey didn't say anything as she quickly slid her suit over her clothes (quickly detaching her boomerangs from the hips of her costume. Adjusting the bunches and folds of the clothing, she tried to think of a way to comfort her friend, but was drawing a blank. It didn't feel like anything she could have said would give Caitlin enough comfort.

"We'll figure this out," she said, sliding her gloves over her fingers as Caitlin's phone rang. "We don't even know exactly what's going on. No dramas." She snorted as Caitlin answered her phone. _Yeah, right, Ave. Because, there's absolutely nothing wrong with someone you previously thought was paralyzed getting up and walking away._

"Barry, I don't know if you could run that fast," Caitlin said into her phone, a tense look on her face.

"What's up?" Averey asked, spotting the look on her friend's face.

"Were you guys calling me?"

The two girls screamed, their voices echoing from every corner of the Cortex as they jumped around to face Cisco. Relaxing, Averey pulled herself out of her fighting stance and relaxed her grip on her boomerangs before she and Caitlin started talking at one time.

"Dr. Wells and I were getting coffee—"

"Dr. Wells can _walk_, Cisco—"

"—we don't know where he is now—"

"—he could be going after Barry or—"

"—we think he might've been coming here and—"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Cisco shouted over the two girls, slapping his hands over his ears.

Averey swallowed her words when she noticed the look on his face. "What?" she asked. "What is it, Cisco?"

"Speaking of Dr. Wells, you're going to want to see this," Cisco replied, dropping his arms by his side.

"Oh, no. You found something," Caitlin said, "didn't you?"

"Unfortunately." Cisco nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Averey asked, looking back and forth between the two scientists. Cisco didn't answer, but gave a nod of his head to indicate that he wanted the two girls to follow him. Caitlin went back to her phone call but found the line already dead before she hung up. Falling into step behind Caitlin, Averey followed the two STAR Labs workers deeper into the laboratory, coming upon a room with a large metal ring sitting in the middle of it. "What is this place?"

"It's where we initially tried to capture the Reverse-Flash," Caitlin explained, slowly stepping into the room. "This was a force field we created using the tachyonic particle from Mercury Labs to lure him here."

"Only, it didn't go quite as well as we hoped," Cisco added as he maneuvered to the corner of the room where he had his laptop set up.

Averey made a face at the thought of being in the room where people had been killed. She tried to avoid cemeteries for that reason—and late night trips to churches, but that was just because they looked more daunting in the dark.

"Barry's probably beating himself up about not defeating him," she muttered. "Did you hear? On the news, Sherry Covington, the woman who lives in his childhood home was found stabbed in the heart." She put her hands on her hips. "Sound familiar?"

"Poor Barry," Caitlin whispered.

"And Barry had already declared that somehow he was going to find a way to go back in time to save his mom, too," Averey explained to Cisco. "This is only going to add fuel to the fire."

"Do you hear that?" Cisco asked sarcastically, "I think I heard a wing flap." He let out a soft laugh. "You don't mess with time travel, dude. Seriously."

"Wait, what do you mean go back in time?" Caitlin asked.

Averey exchanged glances with Cisco before explaining to her what had occurred in the Allen home. Caitlin listened, her eyes widening slightly as they explained the projection of images captured from the night of Nora Allen's murder, Barry's announcement that he was going to save his mom, and the Reverse-Flash attack.

"That's why Joe and I think he could be involved with her murder," Cisco added quietly.

"I see," Caitlin said, slowly nodding. She buried her face into her hands. "This just keeps getting worse."

"So what is it you wanted us to see?" Averey asked.

Cisco tapped a few keys on his keyboard before pointing towards the ring. "_That_."

Turning her head, Averey gasped when she spotted the Reverse-Flash glaring back at the three of them, his red eyes seeming to appear even more menacingly than usual. Caitlin quickly backed away from the metahuman and Averey gripped a boomerang in her hand, and removing it from it from its hook, she pulled her arm back, getting ready to throw it.

"No, stop!" Cisco called before rushing over to her to grab her arm. Averey shivered but she wasn't sure whether it was due to the presence of the evil metahuman or from his touch. "It's not really him; it's a recording. A projection. It's not real."

_Huh? _"Like…it's fake?" Averey asked to clarify. She slowly stepped closer to the contraption (and Cisco let go of her arm) in the middle of the room, the deep vibrating sound becoming louder and louder the closer she got. Lifting a hand, she waved it in the air, but the Reverse-Flash didn't react.

"But we saw him beat up Dr. Wells," Caitlin protested.

"No, we _thought _we saw him beat up Dr. Wells," Cisco replied moving back to his computer. "Watch this." A series of beeps hit the air and the yellow-clad metahuman started moving, his deep vocal tone being heard but sounding…odd.

Slowly blinking twice, Averey used her power to get a good look at the metahuman. The Reverse-Flash's movements slowed down as if Cisco had decreased the speed of the recording. Something about the movements was off. Nothing was fluid, small movements of the arms and legs looked jerky. What stuck out the most was the odd order of moving the arms and legs as the person walked back and forth in front of her.

"It's moving backwards," Averey announced. She turned to look at Cisco who nodded and said, "Exactly" and watched his lips move in slow motion, coming after the sound of his voice. She rubbed at her eyes with her gloved fingers and blinked again, everything moving at normal speed again. "But if Dr. Wells _is _the Reverse-Flash, then how was he in two places at one time?"

"Somehow Dr. Wells was able to make it look like he was captured," Caitlin explained, "So he could beat himself up?" She scratched the back of her head. "But, why?"

"I haven't exactly figured that part out, yet," Cisco admitted.

"Oh, but I'm sure you will, Cisco." Averey froze, feeling a rush of heat fly up her body as Dr. Wells's voice suddenly sounded. A clapping sound filled the air, starting off slow before speeding up. Slowly turning around, Averey faced a glasses-less, wheelchair-less Dr. Harrison Wells standing in the doorway of the room. "After all, you're one of the greatest minds I've come to know."

"Get behind me," Cisco said, his voice shaking, reaching out for the two girls. Averey and Caitlin slowly stepped towards him. Once they were in his reach, he gently grasped Caitlin's elbow, pulling her behind him. Stepping behind him, Averey tightened her grip on the boomerang in her hand. Looking around the room, her heart sank when she realized there was only one entrance and exit to the room and the mysterious man was currently occupying it.

"How noble," Dr. Wells commented, deadpan. "You know, Cisco, that was always something about you that I admired." Clasping his hands behind his back, Dr. Wells slowly stepped towards the group of three. "No matter what, you'd do whatever you could to protect the ones you care about most." His lips parted into a smile—almost menacingly—as he chuckled. "I haven't forgotten about the STAR Labs vacuum."

"Who cares what you think?" Cisco snapped, his voice wavering just slightly. "You're not who we thought you were, your opinion doesn't matter."

"I'm hurt," Dr. Wells replied, his smile widening as he put his hands over his heart. "Although, I cannot in good conscience blame you for this reaction. After all, you don't actually know me."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin asked.

"I mean, Caitlin, that I am, in fact, _not _Dr. Harrison Wells despite that being my outward disposition," Dr. Wells explained. "I am Eobard Thawne. Despite the situation we're in, it is actually very nice to introduce myself to you all." Averey gasped and Dr. Wells's eyes shifted towards her. "Yes, like your friend, Eddie Thawne. The bloodline is a wondrous thing, isn't it?"

"What do you want with us?" Averey asked. She wet her lips and swallowed, trying to coat her suddenly dry mouth. "Why are you pretending to be Dr. Wells?"

"And what happened to the _real _Dr. Wells?" Cisco demanded.

Dr. Wells pursed his lips for a moment before twisting his mouth to the side. "So many questions," he taunted, "and yet, unfortunately, we have so little time." He clasped his hands together and pulled his lips downwards in a frown. "I deeply apologize for that, but, it's better that you _don't _have all the answers. I know that will be hard; scientists are made to ask questions and seek answers, are they not?"

"Then answer this: why did you kill Barry's mum?" Averey asked.

Dr. Wells chuckled. "An unfortunate lashing out of my anger at not being able to kill Barry himself," he explained. "He, _Barry_, was my real target that night. Somehow, he had slipped out of my fingers again and—" He trailed off, curling his fingers into fists, his jaw tightening. "I was angry. But, I knew I could work it in my favor. I could still ruin his life, set him on the right path to be in the right place at the right time to gain his abilities. Then all I needed was for him to get faster and become the foe I have been chasing for years."

"But, we had trapped you," Caitlin insisted. "We saw you; in the chair and in there."

"No," Dr. Wells said, shaking his head. "You saw a speed mirage. I was moving so fast, no one would be able to see it." Averey, Cisco, and Caitlin flinched as he moved so fast he blurred in front of their eyes. And then two Harrison Wells were standing in front of them. "Like so."

"But why go to all this trouble?" Averey asked. "Faking your paralysis, causing all this harm."

"Because I want to go home," Dr. Wells replied with a shrug. "For 15 years, I've been stuck here, just waiting, and hoping, and working towards the one thing that will get me home; the Flash. I need his speed."

"You have the tachyonic particle," Caitlin reminded him.

"Which is nothing compared to the kind of power I'd get if I had Barry's speed," Dr. Wells replied. He rolled his eyes. "You're smart, Caitlin, work it out. I'm fast now, _because _I have the tachyons. But with the true speed Barry possesses, I'm unstoppable."

"You used us!" Cisco cried. "To create the particle accelerator." A pained expression came to his face. "Hartley warned you but you pushed us to finish the accelerator because you knew it'd give Barry his powers. You _killed _innocent people."

"And for that I'm sorry," Dr. Wells replied. "I really am." His face darkened and he menacingly stalked towards them. "But nothing and _no one_ will get in my way." He grit his teeth. "I'll make sure of it."

"Please don't," Caitlin cried, her voice filled with fear. They shuffled backwards, clinging tightly to each other, trying to put as much space between them and the evil metahuman.

"You don't have to do this," Averey said, her voice wobbling, throat thick.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin," Dr. Wells said, never breaking his eye contact with Cisco. "I truly am. You've, somehow, started to get me to feel normal, like I could be happy here. But, it's not enough." His lips lifted just slightly into a smile. "I really do appreciate the two of you. You've been so loyal to me, so…" His gaze flicked over to Caitlin for a brief second, "loving."

"We helped you build this place," Cisco said. He sniffed, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. "We've helped you, we can help you with this. We can."

"But then you'll know who I am," Dr. Wells protested, "and what I can do." His dark eyes moved in Averey's direction and she let out a low wail, tears collecting in her eyes. She gasped for air, trying to steady her breathing, her rapid heartbeat. "Some of you will remember no matter what."

"I won't say anything," Averey choked out. "I promise."

"I know you won't," Dr. Wells replied simply. "I'll make _sure of it_." He surged forward knocking Averey and Caitlin away from Cisco. A scream of surprise and fear tore from Averey's mouth as she hurtled through the air before crashing hard on the floor. Sliding against the smooth flooring, colliding with the wall was the only thing that stopped her forward momentum. "I am sorry. Truly. I hope you know that."

"P—please." Cisco's soft cry seemed to amplify in Averey's ears.

Dr. Wells stood in front of Cisco, one hand tightly gripping his shoulder, the other hand in the air, moving so rapidly, it was a flesh colored blur. "I just want to go home," Dr. Wells said before plunging his hand through Cisco's chest and out the other side.

Averey wasn't sure who screamed louder, her or Caitlin, but her throat burned and the sound wasn't squelched until Dr. Wells threw the two girls around the room to silence them. Gritting her teeth as pain shot through her shoulder blades, Averey reached for the boomerangs on her hips as Dr. Wells easily lifted her off the floor with handfuls of her suit.

"I never thought you'd be this much of a nuisance to me," Dr. Wells said, his upper lip curling. Averey kicked her legs, trying to land a hit on his legs to knock him off balance. "Here I thought I could just use you to start the destruction of Mercury Labs years prior, I could use you in my plan ruin Barry's life. But then you started to get in the way."

"Put her down!" Caitlin shouted. "Let her go!"

Averey squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to force out a blast of blinding energy. "Awww. You still haven't figured it out yet. You're not any different than any normal person facing a trauma; you block it out of your memory. You refuse to believe you ever saw it; you try and erase it. All you need to do is embrace the fear and you'd have that little gift at your fingertips. Let's see if you can remember that."

"Please don't hurt her."

"This is a familiar position, I reckon," Averey said, opening her eyes to glare into Dr. Wells's eyes. "And I thought you were smart. I have something else at my fingertips." She swung her knee upwards, catching Dr. Wells in the groin and he dropped her to the ground. With a sickening squelch, she stabbed the end of her boomerang into Dr. Wells's chest, cutting upwards towards his neck as he roughly pushed her away.

His eyes widened as he doubled over in pain, blood soaking the front of his shirt. Lips shaking, he tossed a look of fury at her Averey before he rushed away. "Ohhhh." She scrambled away from the blood stained floor as Caitlin hurried to Cisco's side. She shook him, calling his name over and over. Her words becoming less intelligible the more she sobbed.

Averey hurried to the fallen scientist's side. "Cisco." She joined Caitlin in shaking him. His head rolled from side to side, forward and back, but he didn't move, "Cisco, wake up!" He looked too peaceful lying on the floor; almost like he was only asleep. "WAKE UP!" She bowed her head. "C-Cait. Maybe Barry can jump start his heart or something. Anything."

"Barry!" Caitlin gasped, her red eyes widening. "I-I was on the phone with him! I forgot."

Averey looked around and found her phone sitting on the cart holding up Cisco's computer. She got to her feet and rushed over to the device and picked it up. Her shaking fingers pressed random numbers as she tried to punch in Barry's cell phone number. After three tries, she finally made the call go through and rammed the phone to her ear. "Pick up, pick up, pickuppickuppickup." There was a click, and Averey started talking quickly and incoherently into the phone, "Barry, we need you here now. Dr. Wells and Cisco and STAR Labs, and he killed your mum and—ahhh!"

Averey suddenly collapsed to her knees as her head throbbed with the worst pain she had ever felt. "Owwww," she wailed, "ow my head!" Her hands were hot against her skin as she pressed the palms of her hands against her temples, trying to relieve the pressure.

"What is it?" Caitlin asked, scrambling towards her on her hands and knees. Her cool hands were a welcome sensation to her feverish skin. "What's going on?"

"My head," Averey cried, "owwww, its killing me." She squeezed tighter and tighter, desperately trying to find a moment of solace from the pain. Sucking in a breath of air and with tears started sliding down her cheeks, she started slamming her fist into her head.

"Stop!" Caitlin desperately cried, her fingernails scratching Averey's hands as she tried to stop the Australian girl from harming herself. "Averey—what can I do?" Amidst Averey's screaming, she could hear Caitlin cry, "I don't know what to do."

Lifting her head, the last thing Averey saw before the world went dark, and the pain subsided, was Caitlin's look of horror. Reflected in the scientist's eyes, she could see a figure moving behind her. A sharp jab stabbed the back of her skull and then she was out cold.

* * *

**A/N: **I know it's been a while since I've updated. Lack of motivation and summer courses are the reason for that. But, knowing that Flash's season 3 is starting production and Tom Felton has joined the cast really gave me that push to get back into writing this. I can't wait to see Tom as Julian Dorn; I loved him in _Harry Potter_, so I'm excited to see what he brings to the character.

Also, I know that was a long chapter, but I hope you guys stuck in there for me. Normally, when it's that long, I break it up into two different parts, but I really didn't feel like I could do that with this one. But, finally, f_inally _(I can't stress that word enough and I'm sure you're all thinking it, too) I can move onto the second half of the Flarrow crossover, which is the big spring board into everything with Belle Reve. (Hopefully, I'll be on "Season 2" by the time the 3rd season starts airing; that's my goal anyway. I've already got some parts for the sequel written out already).

The _Flash Fire/Crossfire, In a Flash, _and _Mark of Sage _crossover between my sisters and I, _The Serenades of War_, is now up on the Crystal Manning profile. Go check it out.

Thanks for reading.

-Rhuben


	31. Put Your Arrows Down

**-Chapter Thirty-One-**

**"Put Your Arrows Down"**

* * *

"Oh, shit!" Barry tried to skid to a stop, breaking his forward momentum as fast as he could. The weight of the tub in his hands threw him off balance. His knees painfully collided with the side and he went tumbling head over heels in the middle of the quiet neighborhood, colliding with the asphalt. "God."

Cracking open his eyes, Barry gasped for air as he stared up at the night sky. _Hold on_. His eyebrows lowered in confused. _The night sky. _Sitting up, he took in his surroundings. He knew he ran fast, but he wasn't sure how he could've gotten from the beach that morning to this neighborhood late at night. Barry scrambled to his feet and spun in a slow circle. The houses on the quiet, dark neighborhood looked very familiar. He was back in his old neighborhood. But, how?

His foot colliding with the tub, he nearly lost his balance and used his hands to catch himself. Under his fingers, the STAR Labs logo was stamped on the lid. Grasping the sides with his hands, he gently shook it causing whatever it was inside to jostle around.

Hearing the sound of a door opening, and catching a glow of light to his left, Barry lifted his head and stared up at his childhood home…and at himself as he walked down the front steps of the porch.

"What the hell?" He locked eyes with himself who stopped short, a look of surprise appearing on his other face. Barry stepped towards his clone just as he rushed off in a burst of speed, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared. Barry twisted and watched the red lightning trail disappear into the night. "What is going on?"

This had all happened before. The tub in his hands housed Cisco's equipment. But, he thought he had already retrieved it. A sinking feeling pulled his stomach down towards his feet. If all of that had already happened, then everything else would, too; Joe accusing Dr. Wells of being involved with his murder, the Reverse-Flash's attack, Sherry Covington's murder, and Mark Mardon's attack on Central City, all of it.

Grabbing the container, he quickly hurried up the steps of his house and burst through the front door, causing Joe and Cisco. "Man," Joe said, removing his hand from where it was placed over his heart, "I know you're fast and everything, but I swear you broke a record that time. You _just _went out the door."

"Uh, yeah," Barry said, crossing the room to give Cisco his equipment. "So…what are we doing here? Again?"

"Uhh, we think we found a lead in your mom's case?" Joe said as more of a question, exchanging confused looks with Cisco. "First Averey and now you. I understand being here is uncomfortable, but are you sure you're ok?"

Barry looked over at Averey who was sitting off to the side of the room, surrounded by bags of Big Belly Burger, confusion, wonder, and shock on her face culminating in an unblinking stare at Cisco. "Y-yeah," he said, his voice cracking. Reaching for a box of French fries he mumbled, "It's just…being here is weird." _Being here _again _is weird._

"So what does all this do?" Joe asked.

"Averey can explain it better," Cisco and Barry said at the same time. The night certainly was playing over again; he knew what it was that Cisco was going to say next. There was a pause of silence as Cisco gave Barry a look of surprise before nodding in agreement. "Yeah. She would." Shifting his gaze over to Averey, Cisco lifted an eyebrow. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Averey blinked, shaking her head. "I'm not. I mean, no reason," she said. She opened and closed her mouth. "I mean…what were we saying?"

"The mirror is backed with silver nitrate," Barry explained, around a mouthful of French fries, "like the dry plates they used in old cameras." He ate quickly, trying to regain some of his energy back instead of just relying on his quick healing.

"Yeah, and pictures were exposed to those plates with the combination of the flash used, the natural light, and the way the camera works," Averey explained. Barry listened, hearing the explanation all over again and found himself talking at the same time, using her same exact words. Joe and Cisco gave Barry odd looks anytime he spoke. "With the two speedsters in his house that night, their lightning created a bright enough flashes to impose images onto the backing of this mirror—no chemicals needed. But like all cameras—"

"You're running the risk of multiple exposures so what you could pull from it might be a right jumbled mess," Barry finished the explanation at the same time as Averey. He clapped his hands together, brushing the salt crystals from his fingers as he finished his third consecutive container of fast food.

"Right," Averey said. "But, I already told you all of this." The look of confusion returned. "Like, the other day." She paused. "Right?"

"Um, no you didn't," Cisco replied. "We were at STAR Labs the other day, remember? Dr. Wells asked you to create that metahuman database. We came straight from that pottery painting place in Keystone at Barry's request." Averey blinked repeatedly. He brushed his hair back behind his ears as he stepped away from his equipment and closer to her. "Speaking of which, I never actually thanked you for that. Not really, anyway."

This made no sense. Not only was Barry walking through a repeat of the previous day, but it seemed like Averey was, too. How could she remember what happened the other day, but no one else could? He was sure her powers had something to do with it, but why did he come back to this night? Despite that, there was some comfort in knowing that he wasn't alone in this.

"So, I was wondering if you wanted to, maybe—"

"Averey, can I talk to you for a second?" Barry blurted out before he could stop himself.

He grit his teeth in a sheepish smile and mouthed an apology to the young STAR Labs employee. He knew he had just interrupted a nerve wracking moment for his friend. In fact, he had never seen Cisco so nervous; he was usually so confident and proud of himself and the work he did for STAR Labs and for all the metahumans. Cisco pressed his lips together and closed his eyes in a moment of brief annoyance.

"Sure," Cisco answered for the female metahuman.

"Great, thanks," Barry said, rubbing his hands together. He stepped closer to his friend and lowered his voice. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." Cisco waved his hand in the air as Averey moved to join him. Quickly taking the stairs up to his old room, Barry closed the door behind him as soon as Averey stepped over the threshold. "Ok, this is going to sound really weird…" Barry pressed his hands to his cheeks as he turned around to face his half-sister. "But, I think I'm reliving this day all over again."

"Oh thank god!" Averey said, putting a hand to her head. "You do, too!" She gripped a handful of her hair. "I don't know what happened; one minute I was in STAR Labs, and then I was back here."

"But you remember everything," Barry said as a statement more than a question, stepping closer to her. He grasped her shoulders and gently shook her. "Right?"

"Not everything," Averey replied. She shook her head as she gently pushed his hands off her shoulders. "There are gaps…it's like someone my memory from yesterday and shoved it into my old brain, only it all couldn't fit."

"I don't understand what happened," Barry said, shaking his head back and forth. "I was running faster than I ever had before, trying to stop this tsunami Mark Mardon had created, and now I'm back here." He swallowed thickly. "When I got back here, I saw someone come out of the house. Me. I saw myself leaving before I came inside." He was silent for a moment, sliding his fingers over his mouth before he locking eyes with Averey. "I think I ran back in time."

Averey stared at him before she gasped loudly. "You went back in time!" she declared, eyes widening.

"Right." Barry nodded.

"No, Barry, you _went back in time_," Averey repeated, an odd look of excitement coming to her face.

"Yeah, I got that the first time." Barry gave her a confused look, spinning his hands one over the other in a circular motion, urging her to continue with her thought.

"You know, for someone so smart…" Averey lifted her hands, looking like she was going to wrap them around his neck and shake him, before she dropped her hands down her to side. "Work with me here! You said yourself one day you'll figure out how to go back to that night your mom died. You just went back in time, mate. You can do it now, somehow you make that happen."

"You're right," Barry said. A flutter of elation tickled his abdominal muscles. He had always said that one day he'd be able to get the chance to save his mom and finally, the opportunity was presenting itself. His dad would be set free—he wouldn't even go to Iron Heights in the first place—and everything would go back to how it was supposed to be. "We already know what's going to happen, so we can change it."

"And if you get ahead of this nothing will happen," Averey said. She started to pace, her fingers twitching, hands shaking. "Nothing will happen. Nothing _can _happen." Barry watched as she let out an odd laugh. "Then he won't die. He'll be ok. It'll be ok. Everything will be ok. Nothing will happen."

"Whoa, whoa." Had he heard right? Someone died? His elation quickly soured and he felt himself place a hand over his stomach. "What? What happened?"

"He died—he…he just dropped," Averey whispered.

"Hey." Averey's lips moved as she muttered to herself. "Ave. _Hey_." Her hazel eyes shifted to lock onto his. "Who. Died?" Barry asked, a hard edge to his tone. "What happened?" Uneasiness gripped at his heart and he swallowed thickly. "Averey, what did you see?"

"Phone," Averey said, clapping her hands together. "Let me see your phone."

"Ok?" Barry reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. Averey snatched his phone out of his hands and lit up the screen before shoving it back at him, demanding that he unlock it. After he did so, she took it back and she started furiously scrolling through it. "What's going on."

"Come on, come on, comeoncomeoncomeon." Averey huffed, shoving his phone back at him a second time. "The voice message isn't there."

"Averey, calm down," Barry pleaded, shoving his phone back into his pocket. "What happened? Who died?"

"Cisco died," Averey replied.

A roaring sound filled Barry's ears and he shook his head back and forth. "No," he said quietly.

"I know what I saw, Barry."

"You said yourself there are some things you don't remember."

"I know what I saw!"

"Who did it?" Averey blinked repeatedly, her gaze shifting around the room. "Who killed him? Think, Ave!"

"Reverse-Flash," Averey said, squeezing her eyes shut. She put a hand to her head. "It was the Reverse-Flash and…someone else? I don't know." Dropping her arm down to her side, her hand hit her leg with a soft slap. "I—I don't remember from there. It's foggy."

"Ok," Barry said, nodding his head. "Ok, ok, so we just do like you said." He took his turn pacing back and forth across his room, his thoughts zipping through his mind. "Stop Mardon from attacking the city, and get ahead of the Reverse-Flash. Most importantly, we have to tell Dr. Wells what's going on."

"You think Dr. Wells could help us with this?" Averey asked, suddenly looking uncertain. Her eyebrows angled towards each other as if she was wondering where those words came from.

"He's been able to help us with everything else so far," Barry said with a shrug of his shoulders. When it came down to it, there was no one else to turn to with something this "I know Joe is standing downstairs thinking that Dr. Wells may have had something to do with my mom's murder, but I trust him. He just wants to fix what he had done wrong." He paused. "You don't think he can help?"

"I think he has a lot of answers to a lot of questions," Averey replied, rubbing at her chin. "That's all. If you want to tell him, let's tell him." She moved to walk past him and Barry grasped her arms, gently pushing her back into place. "What?"

Barry crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you thinking?" he asked. "Don't agree with me just because. I want to hear your opinion."

"Barry, you've been working with Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin longer than I have," Averey said, putting her hands up in the air. "You trust them, so I trust them. That's all I need to know. I've got your back, mate, seriously." She lifted her fist towards him and Barry bumped hers with his own.

"Ok, let's finish here and go to STAR Labs."

"Sweet as."

It was hard to watch Cisco scroll through the pictures that were captured the night of his mom's murder a second time. He already replayed the terror on his mom's face in his own mind, but to see it projected in front of him again, was tough. He tried to get through everything as normally as he could, as if it was the first time he was seeing it. Uneasiness settled in the pit of his stomach as he knew what was going to come next; the Reverse-Flash. He had to get everyone out of the house as quickly as he could.

Practically ripping Cisco's tub of equipment out of his hands after quickly cleaning everything up, he suggested (or almost demanded) that Joe and Cisco go home for the night while he and Averey take the equipment back to STAR Labs. Moments later, Barry and Averey were speed-walking through STAR Labs, looking for the esteemed scientist.

Rounding a corner, they found Dr. Wells standing beside his wheelchair in the middle of an otherwise deserted hallway.

"Dr. Wells?" Barry asked. He hurried forward as Dr. Wells's knees buckled and he fell towards the floor. Barry grunted under the weight of his mentor's body. "Ave, grab his chair."

"Got it," Averey said, hurrying forward and grasping the handles of the electronic device. She maneuvered the seat behind Dr. Wells and Barry carefully lowered the older man into the seat. "You all right? How ya going?"

"Dr. Wells—"

"I'm ok," Dr. Wells said, waving his hand in the air, gently pushing Barry away. "I'm ok."

"Wh-what…were you doing?" Barry asked, placing a hand on the scientist's shoulders.

Dr. Wells was silent for a moment, his lips pressed tightly together. He lifted his gaze up to Barry and the dim lighting in the hallway bounced off the lenses of his glasses, creating an eerie glint. Barry wasn't sure if he was going to answer at all when he parted his lips and said, "With all the scientific advances we have discovered over the years, all the grants to further research, and stem cell research is still a controversial topic." He gave a small smile. "Sometimes, I like to see if all my exercises have really paid off. There are some experiments I like to take part on my own."

"Caitlin says you need to have someone there to help you," Barry protested. "Just in case something happens."

"Yes, well," Dr. Wells said, bowing his head just slightly, "it's a good thing you're so…_quick_, Mr. Allen." He gave a tight lipped smile. "I don't have much to worry about with you around, do I?" He clasped his hands in his lap for a moment before he curled his long fingers around the control stick of his wheelchair, maneuvering himself around the two metahumans. "There have been recent talks regarding spinal stimulation with electricity but…I don't think I could survive an electric shock to my system."

"That's not funny," Averey said as she and Barry walked on either side of him.

"I concur," Dr. Wells replied. His voice took on a hard edge, almost like he sounded annoyed that he was interrupted. "So, what brings the two you by at this time of night?"

"Um, something…happened," Barry said, rubbing his hands together. "Something we were hoping you could explain to us."

"On what topic, I must ask," Dr. Wells asked, his corners lifting at the sides.

"Eee, uhhh, time…travel?" Barry said as more of a question, judging Dr. Wells's face. He stopped moving, his wheelchair shuttering just slightly, and Barry stopped walking. "You've seen the movie_ Groundhog's Day_, right?"

"Actually, I have," Dr. Wells replied with a single nod of his head. "Surprisingly, pretty funny and enjoyable." He laughed quietly. "One you could watch repeatedly. That was a bad joke, I know."

"Really?" Averey asked, her nose wrinkling. "Cisco had me watch it when I was in the hospital. I thought it was ok, but not one I'd re-watch in a hurry." Spotting the annoyed look on Barry's face she pulled the corners of her lips downwards. "Sorry. Just saying."

"Time travel is an interesting topic to discuss," Dr. Wells said, steering the conversation back on topic. "Why bring it up?"

"Um, well…I kind of think…I may have gone back in time," Barry admitted. "You see, I've already lived out this day. The Reverse-Flash killed Sherry Covington and there was this title wave created by Mark Mardon, and he had captured Joe—"

"_No_," Dr. Wells said in a loud voice, instantly causing Barry to stop talking. "If this had in fact happened, if you are indeed experiencing temporal reversion, than you _cannot _tell me anything about it."

"What?" Barry asked, his jaw dropping. "But, I thought this would be something you wanted to know. It's part of my abilities now, right?"

"Dr. Wells," Averey protested, "we thought you could help." Dr. Wells continued to stare into space, his mouth forming a thin line. "I didn't go back in time, I don't think, but I remember everything that happened the other day. Well, parts of it. It's like there's not enough room in my brain for those memories, but it's like I said, I can remember everything."

"No, no I don't want to hear any of it," Dr. Wells said, his voice suddenly jumping in volume. Barry stared at his mentor in disbelief. "You don't understand, Barry—"

"Um, duh!" Averey said in disbelief. "That's why we're asking you for help!" Dr. Wells's eyes narrowed as he angled his head just slightly to look at her. "Sorry."

"You _cannot _utter a word about this to anyone else, least of all to me," Dr. Wells explained quietly. His body tensed, his fingers curling into a tight fist. "I do not care how much you may or may not remember from this rupture, but if you utter even one _word _about this, it could change the future or the worse."

"Dr. Wells, this isn't a movie," Barry insisted.

"Despite many of my accomplishments in the scientific field accomplishing the impossible, I assure you, Mr. Allen, I know the difference between film and reality," Dr. Wells all but snapped at Barry. "From what I gather, not much has been changed, so you have not done any lasting damage. Anything you do differently can cause exponential changes you couldn't imagine."

"The Butterfly Effect, right?" Averey asked. "'You don't mess with that ish' according to Cisco." She shrugged, sliding her hands into her jeans pockets when Barry gave her an odd look. "He had me watch that movie, too. That one was actually pretty good."

"Despite the time travel depicted in that film, it accurately depicts my point," Dr. Wells said, lifting his hand to massage his forehead. "Whatever previously occurred, you have to continue its rightful pattern. Whatever you had previously done or said, you have to do it again. _Exactly _in that order."

"No, no, no, no, no, I can't do that," Averey said, shaking her head back and forth. "I won't do that. I can't pretend I haven't already seen what happened. I can't do it again."

"That is exactly what you're going to do, Miss Moore," Dr. Wells said through clenched teeth, talking faster and with more and more purpose on every syllable he spoke. "Every step, every word, all of it, no variations. _Do I make myself clear_?"

Barry put his face into his hands. This couldn't be happening. And yet, he couldn't stop himself from agreeing. "Ffffff…fine," he said, removing his hands from his face. He ignored Averey's wide-eyed look and nodded his head. "Fine. Thank you. Dr. Wells."

"My pleasure," Dr. Wells replied. "If you'll excuse me, it's getting late." Barry watched him head out of the room. Before disappearing around the corner he said, "I suggest you get some rest to. Your legs will thank you for it."

"Does he sleep here?" Averey asked, pointing at the spot Dr. Wells had just occupied.

"Hell if I know," Barry muttered, scratching the back of his head. He covered his mouth with his hand for a moment. "You've got my back, right?"

"'Course."

"I'm going to need it," Barry said. "Because I'm not just going to sit back and watch everyone get hurt. Again." He sucked in a deep breath of air before letting it out. "We can stop all of this before it happens. Change it."

"Ok, but last time I checked, we never find the Reverse-Flash, he finds us, yeah?" Averey replied.

"I'll take care of that," Barry reassured her, "but we need to find Mardon before he goes on the warpath." He blinked. "But, where could we find him?" Barry blinked repeatedly, startled, after Averey stepped forward and smacked his forehead with the palm of her hand. "For real? What was that for?"

"Fulfilling my long awaited sisterly duties," she said with a half smile and Barry rolled his eyes. "You work for the police, Barry. Don't you have case files on people?" Barry snapped his fingers together, smiling. "I'll go get the tablet. I think it'd be good if we add this to the database."

After using the STAR Labs computers to access the CCPD database (with the help of a phone call to Cisco to get, and change, his computer password and follow step by step instructions), and finding the last known hideout for Mark Mardon, Barry rushed Averey home before heading back to the West house. Carefully and as quietly as he could, he maneuvered through the house, locating Joe's police scanner.

With his thoughts swirling through his head, he spent a sleepless night waiting for a call to come in that, thankfully, never came.

* * *

Barry's clothes settled into place as he rushed to a stop in the middle of the Cortex a smile on his face after changing out of his suit from a lap around Central City. The room was otherwise empty save for Averey who slowly twisted from side to side in her chair, staring off into space.

"Hey," he greeted brightly, "Mark Mardon is currently in the pipeline and there's still no sign of the Reverse-Flash. I think we've waited long enough for him to show his face, right?" He sighed happily. "Have you seen Cisco or Caitlin?"

He blinked, shifting his weight from foot to foot when he got no response. The ocular metahuman continued to stare off into space. No twitch, no shift, nothing to indicate that she recognized he was there.

"Averey?" Barry slowly stepped over to the metahuman. Her blank stare never faltered, even when he pulled a chair to sit down in front of her. He had seen that look reflected in the mirror for so long after the night of his mother's death. When did he stop looking like that? "Hey, Ave." He waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked. Once.

"You know how they tell you not to cry over spilled milk?" she asked after taking in a short breath of air.

"Yeahhhh," Barry slowly nodded.

"That's a good rule to live by," Averey said, slowly nodding repeatedly. Her lips parted in an odd laugh. "I embarrassed myself in the middle of work, today. The thing wasn't even that big." She used her hands to show the size of the container. "It just shattered, and milk went flying, and I just started crying." She let out a single, crisp snap with her fingers. "And I just couldn't stop." Another short burst of laughter. "Tracey asked me to leave for the rest of the day. I didn't want to come home so I just came here."

"Ave, what's wrong?" Barry asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. Averey sat silent, slowly blinking, looking dazed for the longest time. He was preparing himself to ask the question again, but clammed up when her lips parted.

"I haven't slept in three days," she admitted, barely moving her lips, her tone flat.

"What?" Barry asked. A shiver rolled on his spine. She sounded so small, so defeated. "What do you mean?"

"I keep seeing it," Averey explained. She rubbed repeatedly at her eyes before sliding her hands back over the hair at the sides of her head. Her cheeks and nose were flushed a bright pink. "His hand just went right through him." Barry watched as the girl lifted her hand in the same manner as the Reverse-Flash and shoved it through the air, the tips of her fingers colliding with his chest. "Like it was nothing. I see it every time I close my eyes."

Barry watched as grasped her veyesor with shaky hands from where they were perched around her neck. Her face suddenly contorting with rage and despair, she let out a loud scream and ripped the device from around her neck. Throwing it to the ground, it bounced off the floor with a loud clatter. "I haven't slept in three _fucking_ days because I keep seeing Cisco being killed and I can't say anything about it," she cried, her voice cracking. "I wish I could forget everything. I wish the particle accelerator never exploded!"

Barry jumped, as her chair crashed to the floor at the sudden movement of Averey jumping to her feet. She kicked the veyesor away from her and it skidded across the floor of the Cortex before colliding with the wall. Pieces went flying in all directions, but Barry didn't move to pick them up. He kept his gaze on her, the haunted, wide-eyed look freezing him in place.

"I just want to forget Barry," Averey said, putting her shaking hands to her head. Barry opened and closed his mouth, but he didn't know what to say, or if he could say anything. His head was filled with rapid fire thoughts—get Caitlin, get Cisco, get Dr. Wells, give her words of encouragement, even stopping her—but he couldn't decide on what course of action to take first. With his speed, he'd accomplish it all in a split second, but he couldn't decide; all the thoughts were turning into a loud rushing sound in his head.

Her palms pressed into her temples. "I want to forget." She started to pace. "_I want to forget!_" The words tumbled out of her mouth over and over again until she was shouting. "I WANT TO FORGET!" She hit herself in the head with the heel of her palms before shuffling over to the computer set up, smashing her forehead repeatedly. "I WANT TO FORGET! I WANT TO FORGET!"

Barry surged forward, ripping her away from the computer system. "Averey—stop!" Barry held her tight against his chest as she twisted, turned, and thrashed, trying to break out of his grip. "Ave." Her breaths came out in quick, shallow breaths. "Breathe, Ave, breathe."

"Forget. I want to forget."

"I need you to breathe, Ave. Breathe with me." Barry started taking slow deep breaths, prompting Averey to follow his lead. Her knees buckled and Barry was suddenly holding up her whole body weight. He carefully lowered her to the floor, sitting with her. "Ave, it's ok."

"I just want to forget, Barry," Averey whispered before dissolving into sobs.

"I know," he said quietly, holding her tightly to him. "I know you do." While he didn't have the impeccable memory that she had as an ocular metahuman, he could sympathize with her. There were a lot of things in his life he wished he could forget. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

The hum of the machines, the soft whistling sound of the computers around STAR Labs, and Averey's softening sobs broke through the silence between the two metahumans in the Cortex. After a long stretch of silence, Barry spoke up. "I guess I haven't gotten the protective big brother thing down yet, huh?"

Averey laughed quietly, wiping at her eyes with the heel of her palm. "I could've told you that, mate," she said and Barry laughed with her. Sitting back on her heels she sniffed once and brushed her hair out of her face. "Contender for worst brother of the year, yeah?"

"Ok, ok," Barry said, briefly making a face, "I get it." He twisted his mouth to the side. "But, you don't have to worry anymore. Cisco is fine, Mardon is in the pipeline, and Sherry Covington is alive to watch her son grow up. None of what you we happened. Not anymore."

"But can you really keep going pretending like none of it did?" Averey asked, her nose wrinkling slightly. "We know what we saw."

"If that's what Dr. Wells wants us to do," Barry said with a sigh through his nose. He tilted his head and rested it on top of hers. "It's what we have to do. Besides, we changed it all, you and I are the only ones who know."

As the words came out of his mouth, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad. He knew that he and Iris had shared a moment, and maybe something could have happened, he _wanted _it to happen, but now nothing could come of it. It was hard to know for a brief moment or two he was extremely happy to finally have something he wanted come true. At the same time, it gave him a bit of hope; if something with Iris really was there, then it was possible that he could get his dad out of prison.

"You going to be ok?" he asked.

"I'm considering a lobotomy more than I had before," Averey replied with a chuckle, "but, I think I will." She elbowed him in the side. "Hey, maybe people will _really _think we're related then."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha," Barry laughed dryly, shoving her shoulder, despite feeling himself smile. "Come on; Caitlin texted me to come over as quickly as I could." He got to his feet and held out his hand to his sister, helping her to stand. "Let's find out what's going on. Maybe for once, it's just a day filled with tests. God knows we need a slow day." He paused. "Pun intended."

"Don't hold your breath, Bare," Averey said dryly. Lifting the hem of her shirt, she dried her cheeks. "Anyway, Caitlin and Cisco are in the basement." She then gasped loudly. "Oh no!" Dropping to her hands and knees, she crawled around the floor picking up pieces of the broken veyesor.

"Oooh." Barry winced before picking up some of the scattered pieces. "I had my suit explode off of me one time. Cisco nearly blew his top."

"How'd that happen?" Averey asked, sitting on the floor, cradling the veyesor and broken pieces in her hands. Barry dropped his pieces into her hands.

"Plastique."

"Huh? The metahuman?"

Barry quickly explained how they had met Bette Sans Souci and her metahuman powers. He hadn't thought about her in a long while and the guilt of not being able to help a terrified and confused metahuman settled into his stomach. "Cisco was ready to go off on her, before he found out what she looked like," Barry said with a small laugh.

"He fancied her?" Averey asked.

"Um…yeah?" Barry replied.

"Oh." Barry's eyes narrowed just slightly. Was that sadness he heard in her voice? Were her eyes reflecting disappointment? "You think Cisco will go easy on me?" Averey asked with a frown.

Barry smiled. "I can almost guarantee it," he replied. After helping her to her feet, Barry led the way to the elevators which they took down to the sub-level of STAR Labs. "Caitlin? Cisco?" His voice bounced off the walls, echoing back towards them.

"We're down here." Caitlin's voice came from one end of the sub-level of the laboratory. As the two metahumans stepped into what looked like a large hangar, where Barry noted they should move their training area for more space, their eyes came upon a shiny, sleek black and white vehicle. "Ta da!"

"What's this?" Averey asked.

"It looks like the Batmobile was put in Tron," Barry said to Cisco's proud smile.

"Hey, if it could be compared to something," Cisco said with a shrug, "that's pretty dope." He used his shoulder to wipe at the dirt smudges on his cheek. "I call it the Cisco Cycle. Hey, I have to put my name on something. So, Ave, what do you think?"

"Why don't I get a car?" Barry asked, walking around the vehicle, sliding his hand across the material.

"Uh, you run as fast as lightning, dude," Cisco said with a snort. "Why do you need one?"

"Because it's cool," Barry said with a mock pout. He grinned and clapped Cisco on the shoulder. "I think you've really outdone yourself this time."

"Thanks," Cisco replied. His smile faded when he saw what Averey was holding. "What is that?" He lifted a finger and pointed towards the veyesor. "What happened to that? It's in pieces. Why is it in pieces?" Barry exchanged amused glances and a roll of eyes with Caitlin.

"I…dropped…it?" Averey said with a sheepish smile, presenting the veyesor to him. Cisco's jaw dropped as he took the veyesor and pieces in his hands. "You know how clumsy I am. Wait." She tucked her hand into her shirt sleeve and reached towards the scientist. As she wiped the dirt from his face with the cotton, Cisco stood still—almost frozen by the touch—watching her. Averey chuckled and moved to other side of his face. "I reckon this what you've been working on the whole time."

"Yeah," Cisco replied, sharing a smile with the Australian. Barry and Caitlin shared another knowing look. Although now, he suddenly felt like they were the third and fourth wheels. Scratching the back of his head, he cleared his throat and Cisco blushed, turning his attention back to the car. "I can fix the veyesor, easy. The Cisco Cycle can do a lot that this can; project topographical maps for example, but it can accurately pinpoint your GPS location and give you turn by turn directions to any latitude and longitude coordinate inputted, and can drive over any terrain."

"Except water, we haven't figured that out yet," Caitlin pointed out.

"And it can drive crazy ass fast," Cisco added, nodding in agreement to Caitlin's point.

"Not as fast as Barry can run, but it'll get you to Starling City faster than we can drive the van," Caitlin said.

"Wait, why do we need to go to Starling City?" Barry asked, pulling his eyes away from the car. "What's going on?"

"Well, for one thing, Felicity asked me to try and lift the DNA sample she needs me to look at," Caitlin explained, brushing her hair back from her face. "I thought I'd head over there to get it in person. Also, that guy they had followed here, the one with the boomerangs, has reappeared in Starling and they need your expertise. Plus, Starling City houses the inventory of everybody that's ever worked at STAR Labs, and they said they were going to shut the place down, so we need to check on that as well."

"Central City may not be too fond of STAR Labs, but who knows if they've actually disposed of some of the prototypes in Starling," Cisco said. "Starling is a rough place; if anybody there gets their hands on that inventory, they could pose a real dangerous threat."

"What else?" Averey asked. Barry looked over at her and saw the hard stare she was giving Caitlin. "You're chewing your bottom lip, and you're standing in a closed off form. Something else is bothering you."

Caitlin immediately stopped chewing and wetted her lips. "A tip came in on Iris's blog that the 'Burning Man' has been spotted near Starling City," she said. "He might not even be there now, but, I thought it'd be worth a short."

"But, we've seen him on a few occasions around Central City," Barry said. "Every single time he was trying to help Caitlin or he just wanted to get to STAR Labs. He said he wanted help." He crossed his arms over his chest. "So why would he be all the way out in Starling City? Ronnie—or Martin Stein—both said they wanted a way to get home."

"Maybe they don't feel like Central City is safe anymore," Averey replied. "Not that I could really blame them."

"But what would cause them to go all the way out there?" Cisco asked.

"General Eiling," Caitlin replied and the room went silent. "Remember what Jason Rousch told us? He interfered with the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project; took everything he could about it."

"So he chased Ronnie all the way out to Starling?" Cisco asked.

"He chased Bette Sans Souci here," Caitlin pointed out.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Barry replied before rushing into his suit. "Ave." Averey lifted her eyebrows in question a blank look on her face. He tilted his head towards the Cisco Cycle. "Race you there?"

Averey smirked. "You're on."

* * *

"Advanced Research Group United Support," Averey whispered as she passed by the logo stamped along the Starling City building wall. Her footsteps were muffled by the carpet. "It's no wonder everything goes by acronyms." A thoughtful look came to her face. "Speaking of which, what does the STAR in STAR Labs mean?"

"Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Labs," Barry replied instantly. "Just keep your eyes peeled."

"Yeah, yeah," Averey replied as they walked up to a balcony. Lifting a hand to press the blue switch on the side of her veyesor, she got to work. Curling her gloved fingers around the railing, she started swiveling her head back and forth, zooming her focal point onto the floors below. "I'm on it."

The shadows seemed darker and deeper zoomed in this close. She could hear distant sounds of shuffles, grunts, and footsteps from the floor below them. "Bodies," she said, spotting the ARGUS workers lying on the floor. "This guy, whomever he is, works quick, yeah?"

There was a crashing sound and sound of glass breaking. A quick flash of light bouncing off shards of glass skidded into her line of sight. A guttural sound rumbled in her throat as she turned away from the light. The lightning bolt symbol on Barry's suit, now enlarged, filled her line of sight a second before she bumped into Barry.

"Oof." Falling backwards onto her bottom, she set her vision back to normal. "Over there!" She pointed in the direction of the glass. "Over there, go!" A burst of wind pulled at her hair and clothes as Barry rushed off.

Jumping to her feet, she started at a run after him. Taking the stairs two at a time and jumping around railings, she hurried to join the fight, diving out of the way of a boomerang that went careening towards her head. Unhooking one of her own from around her waist, she pulled the weapon apart into daggers. A loud crunching sound hit the air as she plunged the blades into the pillar standing beside her. Tightly gripping the handles of the daggers, she pulled herself up the wall and planted her feet on top of the blades. Bending her knees (as much as she could against the wall) she put as much energy in her thighs before she pushed herself up and over in a back flip.

While upside down, she set her gaze on the long jacket wearing man fighting two archers and threw her weapon towards the man. As she landed on her feet, the man whipped around and used his own boomerangs to easily knock hers away, where it clattered on the floor.

"Ah, someone who appreciates my expertise," the man said with a cackle. "How flattering." His smile faded a moment later as he pushed the folds of his jacket aside in a flourish and reached for the two boomerangs that lined his body. "If only for a moment."

Averey grabbed the two parts of her weapon out of the wall and ducked to the ground, hearing the boomerang whizz past her head. Rolling around to face it as it came back on its return trip. As it twisted back towards its owner, Averey shot a purple blinding beam at it. It bounced off the sleek surface of the boomerang, and shot past the man, missing him. Covering his face with his arm from the bright light, the two archers took that time to aim two arrows into his back.

"Argh!" The man whirled around to face the two archers and Averey pushed herself to her feet. She instantly recognized the Arrow, but was surprised to see someone dressed exactly like him, but in red standing by his side. "You are just stopping the inevitable." He let out a wheezing laugh. "Did you really think I wouldn't be able to find you? Oh, Lyla, Lyla, Lyla. You have, as they say, created a monster. This is your own fault."

A high pitched whirring filled the air before he threw two more boomerangs. The archers dodged them and the ground shook as they exploded in a bright burst of light. Pain throbbed at the backs of Averey's eyes at the sight. The combination of the sudden searing pain and the shaking of the floor took her to the floor for a second time. A rush of wind filled the room, taking the heat from the explosions with it.

Cracking open her eyes, Averey nodded over at Barry who held two of the man's boomerangs in his hands. The man stumbled backwards before disappearing in an explosion and a puff of smoke. Blinking against the pain, the edges of her eyes burning she gathered her belongings on shaky legs as Barry dropped the boomerangs to the floor.

"Nice work, Visionary," Barry said to her, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath from the quick surge of speed. "Unfortunately, all the security out there is dead. Luckily, it was so quick they didn't suffer."

"Thanks, Flash." Averey stepped through the darkened room towards him. "I did quick surveillance on the way over here; he backed them all into this area. Everywhere else is clear." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she heard a loud shout of, "Don't take another step" before the sound of something shooting through the air reached her ears. Then pain burst on her shoulder and shoulder blade as she stumbled back into the pillar behind her. "OW! Except for that."

"Put your arrows down!" Barry shouted. He held his hands out towards the Red Archer, standing in between her and him. "It's ok."

"Ugh." Averey grasped the shaft of the arrow and pulled it out of the wall, grimacing as she felt the sharp side of the arrow head slice the skin of her shoulder open. Eyeing the red hooded man warily, she tossed it towards him. "I didn't know Little Red Riding Hood was a vigilante, now."

"You have boomerangs like him," the Red Archer explained, looking over at the Arrow who was silently taking in the scene in front of him. "I thought she was with him." The Arrow merely glanced at him, his jaw tightening. "I'm sorry. I thought I was following protocol."

"She's with me," Barry said, lowering his arms. "It's ok."

"…Sorry," the Red Archer said.

"Visionary," Averey said with a nod.

"Arsenal." He nodded in return. "Thanks."

"Let's go," Arrow called in a booming, yet gruff voice. Without another word, he turned on his heels and headed out of the building, walking over to who Averey recognized as John Diggle and a woman she didn't know. "Arsenal, check the perimeter."

"Got it," Arsenal said with a nod of his head. He walked around the floor, retrieving his fallen bow, arrows, and what looked like police batons. Strapping the batons to his legs, he headed towards one of the exits.

"Oi," Averey called after him. She hurried after Arsenal and followed him into the cool night air. "Here." Wiping her blood off of the arrow in her hand on her leg, she held it out towards Arsenal. "Wicked shot."

"Thanks," Arsenal replied. He looked the arrow over before sliding it into the quiver sitting on his back. "You, too. You've got good aim."

"Cheers." Averey gave a half smile of thanks. The two vigilantes silently walked around the perimeter of the building before heading up towards the roof. "So, Arrowhead, what's your story?" Arsenal gave her a curious, yet annoyed look at the name.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"There's got to be a reason why you a tall, dark, and brooding man like yourself is helping Oliver." Arsenal's eyes widened, the whites of his eyes standing out against the dark makeup under his mask. "He had previously come to Central City and helped the Flash and I train. Promise, I won't reveal his identity to anyone else." She drew an X over her chest with her index finger. "So, how'd you get to be Arsenal? The Arrow doesn't really give off the vibe that he's a team player."

"It's…complicated," Roy replied admitted, "and a long story."

"Story of my life." Averey pulled her veyesor off of her face and hung it around her neck. She held her hand out towards him. "Averey Moore."

"Roy Harper." Roy lowered his hood before taking her gloved hand in his and shook it. "So you're one of those, too?" A confused look crossed his face before he snapped his fingers. "What did Oliver call it? A metahuman?"

"I am," Averey said as he removed his grip on her hand. Putting a hand on his shoulder she added, "But, I wasn't struck by lightning. Sort of. It's kind of a long story."

"Aren't they all."

* * *

_Ethan: _I have it in my head that anyone you've seen in the show that's gone to Jitters at least once, orders the same thing every day. Yes, Eobard had killed Cisco at that moment.

_Guest: _Thanks for checking out the story. Good work figuring out something was up with her roommates.

_Guest: _I certainly can see why you'd get the impression I'm teasing Averey with Roy, but that's not the case at all. There is no shipping whatsoever between the two of them from my end, that was them just talking. They just met and Arsenal just shot an arrow at her, so it is forced conversation. Averey is the type of person that will see or notice something about someone and (at times) call them out on it. She sees Roy as a tall, dark, and brooding person as Arsenal and told him that, but there is strictly nothing romantic wise going on with them at all. Also, I didn't write the other story you're referring to, my sister did. We share this account.


	32. We're Going to Belle Reve

**-Chapter Thirty-Two-**

**"We're Going to Belle Reve"**

* * *

"Man, I had dreams about the Arrow Cave place, but I didn't know it'd hella bomb as this," Cisco said with an excited smile as he walked around the underground hideout for the Arrow. "I can't even. Dead."

Averey spotted the confused looks on the faces of Diggle, and the woman that stood beside him, and shook her head. "And you Yanks say I'm hard to bloody understand," she said with a grin, exaggerating her accent. "Basically, he said how cool this place is."

"Uh, _yeah_," Cisco said with an excited smile.

"Oh," the woman said with a startled smile. Diggle's eyes shifted upwards towards the ceiling, slightly shaking his head from side to side.

"_Ow._" Wincing, she leaned away from Caitlin who pressed a cloth with disinfectant to the cut on her shoulder. After securing the A.R.G.U.S facility, Averey took the Cisco Cycle to the location of the Arrow's underground facilities (where Caitlin and Cisco were monitoring the fight with Felicity) and changed out of her suit before being looked at by Caitlin.

"Don't move," Caitlin commanded, using a tissue to wipe away the excess dribble of the steaming liquid. "I already told you twice." Using her shoulder to brush her hair out of her face, she looked over at Felicity who was seated behind a computer monitor, twisting her fingers in her lap. "Felicity, could you unwrap that bandage for me?"

"Sure." Felicity got to her feet and reached for the roll of white tape. "Don't touch that, Cisco." Cisco made a squeaking sound as he pulled his hand back from the rack of arrows he stood in front of. Most of them were gone, but a few were left behind without the fletchings attached.

"The cut isn't too deep; the bleeding stopped on its own, but I would've preferred if you came back as soon as it happened," Caitlin explained. She rubbed small circles on Averey's skin with the cloth before removing it to gaze at the now clean cut. "You made the initial cut worse by pulling the arrow out of the wall the way you did. Just as a precaution, I'm making the decision to give you some."

"Cheers, Caitlin."

"Does either of you two need to be looked at?" Caitlin asked, angling her head in Diggle and the woman's direction. She used her shoulder to brush her hair from her face. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Caitlin Snow. That's Cisco Ramon and Averey Moore. Cisco and I work at STAR Labs."

"Oh, Lyla Michaels," the woman said with a patient nod and smile. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you." She nodded over at Averey. "And thank you for helping us with Harkness's break in."

"You work for A.R.G.U.S," Averey said, starting to kick her legs back and forth as Caitlin gathered supplies to stitch her friend's wound close.

"That's some girl power there for you." Felicity corrected her. She made a gun with her forefinger and thumb and dropped back down in her abandoned chair.

"Do you have any idea as to why that guy would attack your facility?" Averey asked. "He seemed to know where he was going, what he was looking for."

"Well," Lyla said with a sigh, "as I explained to the Arrow—" Lyla's words were drowned out by a sudden rush of wind that was Barry as he flew through the room before dropping himself into an empty rolling chair, grinning at the sushi in his hands.

"Hey, Barry, I asked for some sushi too," Averey said, practically pouting.

"Stop moving!" Caitlin said, grabbing Averey's arm to hold her still. She held the needle threateningly in front of Averey's face. "I'm not against jabbing you with this needle you know. "

"I need the food more than you do," Barry protested. He used his chopsticks to maneuver a piece of sushi to his mouth. "Besides," he said while chewing, "they didn't have the kind you wanted. Do you know how late it is?"

"At least give me half."

"You're getting half a bite is all you're getting," Barry said, leaning away from Averey's pinching fingers before he sped across the room a split second later. He gave Lyla a bright smile. "Hi!" He speared a piece of sushi with a jab of his chopstick. "I'm sorry about what happened at A.R.G.U.S but I'm glad you and Diggle are ok."

"I—you—how did you do that?" Lyla asked, her eyes widened in surprise as she pointed back and forth between the two spots he was previously sitting. She spun in a circle, confusion on her face. "You were just there."

"I'm the Flash; got struck by lightning, gained the speed," Barry explained, bobbing his head from side to side. Lyla's eyes widened even more. "You're reacting almost exactly like Diggle. You guys have been married for a while, huh?"

"We're not married," Diggle and Lyla immediately replied at the same time Felicity said, "They're not married."

"So, you're the one I heard about being struck by lightning," Lyla said, walking over to Barry. She offered him her hand and he shook it after setting down his chopsticks in the plastic container. "Barry, right? I'm glad you pulled through."

"Barry Allen."

"So are we," Cisco said with a bright smile. "The Flash is probably one of the better and successful tests we've had come through STAR Labs." His smile faded just slightly when he saw Caitlin give him a pointed stare, lifting an eyebrow. "I mean…that's not the _only _reason we're glad. You know that, right, Barry?" Barry nodded, giving a thumbs up as he put his abandoned piece of sushi into his mouth and chewed.

"Uhh, so as I was explaining," Lyla said, shaking off her surprise at Barry's ability, "Digger Harkness, who you had the pleasure of meeting you last night, used to work for A.R.G.U.S in what we called Task Force X."

"Also called the Suicide Squad," Diggle explained with a deep frown, his arms crossed over his chest. He slowly blinked. "Former criminals were used in a special task force on intended targets and in return would have their prison sentence reduced."

"Look, I know you're not happy about the way A.R.G.U.S runs things, but now is not the time," Lyla said, lowering her voice as she turned towards Diggle.

"That is not my concern as much as the fact that someone like him is still out there with a bomb in his brain is," Diggle replied in a gruff voice. "I told you that it wasn't a good idea to use people like him. To dispose of them like that if things don't go wrong? He doesn't care about that. Clearly."

"And I told you _not now_," Lyla shot back through clenched teeth.

"Yeahhhh," Averey said, looking back and forth between Diggle and Lyla. "Now I know for sure you're not married. _Ouch_!" She grabbed her arm where Caitlin jabbed her with the needle. "What? It was an observation!" She frowned, massaging the sore spot. "Damn, that hurt."

"I warned you," Caitlin said, shaking her head back and forth. "There. You're done." She darted out her tongue wetting her lips. "If Digger Harkness was working for Task Force X, or this Suicide Squad, why would he turn around and attack A.R.G.U.S?"

"He was targeting me," Lyla admitted, her shoulders slumping just slightly. "A.R.G.U.S has some, admittedly, extreme methods set in place for when missions aren't properly carried out. After an unsuccessful mission, Harkness was to be dealt with like the rest of the Squad, but it didn't happen."

"The Australian Secret Intelligence Service?" Averey asked, eyebrows lifting. She shook her head, letting out a low whistle. "Right. No wonder he was so calculated and calm. ASIS alone would have given him the skills to help him in that attack."

"Exactly," Diggle agreed. "His ego also doesn't help either. Already walking around with a death sentence in his head, what else does he have to lose?"

"He's experienced in weapons and technology," Lyla added. "It was why we had him assigned to Task Force X to begin with."

"That kind of technology was used against your own men tonight," Oliver said in a harsh tone, announcing his presence as he and Roy entered the underground facility. His face was etched into a harsh frown, a crease settled between his eyebrows. "We collected these fragments while on scene."

Roy held up a bag filled with metal parts before he tossed it onto the table in front of Diggle and Lyla. "You're faster than I thought you were, man," Roy said to Barry.

"And we're trying to build his speed every chance we get," Cisco said, moving to join the others around the table.

"Really?" Roy asked, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. He tilted his chin backwards just slightly. "How fast are you running now?"

"Well, when we first started working with him, he ran faster than 350 miles per hour," Cisco explained and Roy blinked in surprise. "Yeah, dude, I know. It was so dope."

"So what can you do?" Roy asked, nodding over towards Averey, jutting out his chin in her direction. "I mean, you weren't struck by lightning, too, were you?"

"Just think of me as a human camera, mate," Averey explained, "I can also temporarily blind people."

"Wait, seriously?" Felicity asked, sitting up in her seat. "You can do that now?" A thoughtful look came to her face. "That must come in handy."

"_If we could_ _please get back to the point_," Oliver said, his voice cutting over all the chatter. He briefly squeezed his eyes shut as he removed the hood of his suit. "We have more pressing matters to discuss. For instance, Barry, Averey, and Roy I need to talk to you. _Now. _Please?"

"He's not asking is he?" Averey asked and Roy shook his head. "Thought not."

As Oliver turned on his heels and walked further into the dark shadows at the back of the underground facility, Roy, Averey, and Barry exchanged glances before slowly following him. Oliver removed his eye mask from his face as he turned around to face the three heroes. The black markings around his eyes and smeared across the bridge of his nose made his stern gaze seem more menacing.

"Um," Barry said quietly. "What's…up?"

"Not that I don't appreciate your help, Barry," Oliver said in a tight voice, "but I don't understand why you're here. This isn't something you can just speed through; things in Starling City are different then how they are in Central City."

"I-I know," Barry said, taken aback. His look of uncertainty formed into a half smile. "And you're welcome." Averey snorted, quickly turning it into a cough at Oliver's increasing air of annoyance.

Oliver stared at him, blinking for a moment before turning towards Roy. "I understand you've had a lot to deal with lately," he said to the archer in red, "but I seem to recall that I asked you to keep your head in the game." Roy opened his mouth to protest and Oliver quickly continued. "I know you want to get back to how things were, but you can't do that by making mistakes. You didn't make sure your target was a threat."

"How is it any different than what you?" Roy shot back with a scoff-laugh. "Or have done? I've seen how you work Oliver, you injure first, ask questions second."

"After I know for sure I have the right target," Oliver insisted through clenched teeth. "Own up to your mistakes!" His gaze softened just slightly. "For what it's worth, you _are _going back to before. There's no doubt about that."

"I don't feel like it," Roy muttered.

Oliver laughed lightly. "You think it was easy for me to feel normal again after being gone for five years?" he asked.

"Were you even normal to begin with?" Roy instantly replied. Oliver's lips twitched upwards into a smile. Roy matched his smile, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Why are you here?" Oliver asked, turning back towards the Central City metahumans.

Barry and Averey exchanged glances. "Caitlin said that Felicity had a DNA sample for her," Averey explained. "She said that she knew this Harkness guy was back in Starling City."

"Howwww?" Roy asked, lowering the hood of his suit. Oliver lifted an eyebrow, silently conveying the same question.

"We've started keeping a database on all the metahumans we've come across," Averey replied, "I had put him in there. We didn't have a lot of info at the time, but I did. They probably got a tip or something." She then clapped her hands together, the sound muffled by her gloves. "And speaking of tip, she has reason to believe that Firestorm was chased here to Starling City."

"Fire—what?" Oliver asked.

"Firestorm," Barry replied. "It's short for Fusion, Ignition, Research Experiment and Science of Transmutation Originating RNA and Molecular Structures. Professor Martin Stein and Caitlin's fiancé—or ex-fiancé, I don't really know—were fused together the night of the accident and can now, kind of, set himself on fire."

"Only they don't know what's going on, they've been missing since the accident," Averey added. "They've shown up here and there to help Caitlin when she was in trouble. Iris's blog had a tip come in that he was sighted here and we wanted to see that everything checked out. If he is here, or wherever he is, it's important; we think General Eiling is after them."

"I don't know who or what a Firestorm is, but that is not of my concern at this moment," Oliver replied after a moment of silence. "With Harnkess around, there are other A.R.G.U.S facilities that are compromised. He won't stop until he gets to Lyla; her safety is of utmost importance."

"Oliver, Ronnie or Professor Stein, or whoever, isn't exactly stable," Averey protested. "And in all honesty, I don't think General Eiling is either. He just sees metahumans as test subjects, not people. All of Starling is in danger with him around as well as anyone in this room. _Especially _Caitlin. How could you not care?"

"It is not a matter of whether or not I care," Oliver said, talking loudly over the end of her sentence.

"But—"

"Look, Barry may be able to run as fast as lightning, and could be in two places at once, that's great for him," Oliver replied, speaking over her again. "That's great for Central City. Starling City is different; we do things _my _way. The hard way. It's not all sunshine and rainbows over here."

"It's not in Central City, either," Barry protested.

"Especially not when a tidal wave is headed towards the city, yeah?" Averey said before she was jabbed hard in the side by Barry.

"Wait, what?" Roy asked, confused.

"Nothing," Barry and Averey replied in unison.

"Focus!" Oliver's chest lifted and fell as he took in a lungful of air. "The point is, this is _my _city. No one here is running around with special powers they got on a technicality. They are _real _people in _real_ danger and I have to make the call on what I deem the most important lead to follow. We know for sure that Harkness is in this city and as long as he is a threat, I will do what I can to stop him. Either you do as I say or you can go."

"Oliver, I'm not new to this anymore," Barry protested, shaking his head. "I do everything you taught me—_we_ do everything you taught us." He indicated between himself and Averey who had pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and was biting down on it. "We're working together better, we don't just rush into things. Caitlin, and Cisco, and Dr. Wells, we all work well together, like you do here."

"He's got a point," Roy commented. Oliver pointed a finger in his direction, but didn't say anything.

"You helped me out when I wasn't being myself back in Central City," Barry continued. "You helped me when I was scared about my abilities and didn't know what to do. You may be the loner type, but clearly, you still have a good part of Oliver Queen inside you. That Oliver Queen you were before you got stranded on that island. Even if you don't want to believe it, I know that part of you wants to help Caitlin. She's already been through enough."

Oliver stayed silent, slowly nodding his head. "We'll see what we can do," he said after a moment of silence.

"Great!" Barry gave him a bright smile. "Thanks. Oliver, I really appreciate it."

"I said I'd help," Oliver reminded him, "right after we handle this thing with Harkness." He sniffed. "In the mean time, it's getting late. I suggest we all get some rest."

"Wait—I thought you wanted us to—"

"You won't be of much help if you're not well rested." Oliver clapped Barry's arm as he walked past him. "Your legs must be tired from all of that running, right?"

"Ha. Ha."

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Barry let out a huff of annoyance as he removed the pillow that was covering his face. The hotel beds in Starling City's biggest hotel chain weren't all that comfortable but neither was the tapping noise coming from the other side of the room.

"Cisco, you better not be doing what I think you're doing."

Opening his eyes and turning his head to the side to gaze at the giant lump in the hotel bed next to his. Light glowed under the duvet and he could barely make out Cisco's form as he sat hunched over his computer.

"I'm not!" Barry groaned when the blankets were roughly pushed aside and a bright light was shone directly in his face. "Sorry." With a _click_, the bright light disappeared a moment before a shuffling sound filled the room and the lamp was turned on. "I couldn't sleep. By the way, dude, you , like, run in your sleep. Do you ever stop moving?"

Normally, Barry didn't either. His thoughts rushed through his mind just about as quickly as his legs moved. "No. What are you doing on your computer this late, anyway?" Barry asked, sitting up. He shivered as the cold air conditioned air brushed across his bare chest. He gathered the blankets around him and rolled onto his side to face his long haired friend, pulling his knees to his chest as he curled up into a ball.

"Trying to find out more about General Eiling," Cisco replied.

"What about him?" Barry asked over a yawn.

"It's just that…he's been around a lot of things involving STAR Labs," Cisco replied, brushing his hair back from his face. "First the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project was collected by him—which Martin Stein showed up with the night of the accident, and then what happened with Bette—you saw how ruthless he was, and now this? I mean, it's not uncommon to outsource work when you need it and the type of technology we could come up with could help the military."

"It could help everybody," Barry reminded him, his eyes falling shut.

"Exactly." Cisco was silent for a moment. "But, Barry…he was there the night of the accident. He had F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M with him."

"Yeah, I know," Barry replied. "That's how he and Ronnie became fused together. You said that Hartley showed you the police video." He sat up, wiggling his arm free to prop his head up with his hand, digging his elbow into the mattress. "Which, by the way, dude, I could've gotten you those tapes. You didn't have to hack the CCPD for it."

"Eh, I needed the practice anyway," Cisco said with a shrug. Barry rolled his eyes. "No, but think about it, Barry. He said that Mercury Labs didn't take him seriously and didn't want any part of his work, but STAR Labs, did. If anyone could understand what we do, it's someone as brilliant as Professor Stein."

"And?" Barry asked.

"You really are slow when you're tired aren't you?" Cisco asked. Barry cracked open his eyes, suddenly realizing he had closed them again and saw Cisco giving him an odd look.

"Aren't we all?" he asked. "Last I checked, that was normal." He yawned again. "And apparently, I'm slow all the time so what difference does that make? Just get to the point."

"Maybe he didn't come to Starling to get away from General Eiling," Cisco replied. "I mean, that's a good theory and god knows it's true but…we have a STAR Labs facility here. What if he was trying to get to some of the equipment there? Stein would know what projects or pieces of equipment he could use with F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M. Or maybe—"

"What could reverse it," Barry said, finishing Cisco's thought. He sat up (as best as he could in the fold of his blankets) feeling more wide awake then he previously was. "Professor Stein sounded desperate to get back to his wife; I mean, who wouldn't after being away this long from family. But, we never checked to see if he had ever actually tried going home. Especially with how badly Ronnie has wanted to return to Caitlin."

"I can get her number," Cisco said, hunching over his computer again.

"I'll go wake the girls," Barry said, shimmying his way out of his bed. Keeping the blankets wrapped tightly around him, he shuffled towards the door connecting his and Cisco's hotel room to Caitlin and Averey's. He unlocked the door and pulled it open before he repeatedly knocked on the door until it swung open. Caitlin glared at him with one eye, the other covered by her hand as she rubbed away her sleep. "I don't think you've looked at me like that since I told you that you don't smile much."

"And I don't feel like smiling now, either," Caitlin replied, dropping her arms to her side before she leaned up against the door jamb. "What is it?"

"We think Firestorm could have been headed to Starling City to find that old STAR Labs facility to see if there were any projects left that could help reverse their…condition," Barry explained. "We know that STAR Labs's particle accelerator was what caused him and Ronnie to fuse together to begin with, so maybe STAR Labs is what can help him, too."

"Ronnie knew that there was a facility here in Starling City," Caitlin said, reaching up a hand to the messy ponytail at the back of her hair. "I'll get Averey."

"I'm up." Averey's tired voice floated to the door seconds before she appeared. Barry's laugh of amusement and shock sounded more like snort. He could really only see Averey's eyes (and barely at that) she was wrapped in her own set of blankets so tightly. "Reckon the only reason I should be up now is because you all decided to go night swimming. I'm absolutely knackered."

"Did you even pack a bathing suit?" Caitlin asked.

"I didn't even pack my jim-jams," Averey replied.

"I can just run back to Central City in the morning and get you some extra clothes," Barry offered. He blinked, lifting an eyebrow when Averey practically shouted "No!" in his face before apologizing and telling him he didn't need to bother.

"Wow, you two really are related aren't you?" Caitlin asked, looking back and forth between the two bundled metahumans. Averey's eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Not only does it keep me warm, but it keeps out the light," she explained. "And it was the only way to stop me from scratching at my stitches."

"I got her number!" Cisco called from Barry's room. "Seems she put out a missing person's report shortly after the accident." Barry, Caitlin, and Averey moved into the hotel room and crowded around Cisco on his bed. He turned his computer around and a missing flier with Professor Martin Stein's face dead center. "She's had it updated this year. We can call now."

"It's 6 O'clock in the morning in Central City, you can't call that early," Caitlin protested as Barry reached for his cell phone on the night stand.

"Why not?" Cisco asked, lifting an eyebrow, "Telemarketers do."

Barry laughed into the mouthpiece of the phone as he punched in the numbers for the Stein household. He pressed his thumb into the button for speaker phone and a moment later, the sound of ringing filled the hotel room. It rang three times before there was a _click _and a woman answered. "Yes, hi, is this CI Clarissa Stein?" Barry asked.

"_Yes, it is. May I ask who's calling?_ _At such an early hour, I might add._"

"I told you," Caitlin whispered.

"This is Barry Allen, I'm a CSI examiner at the CCPD," Barry explained, rubbing at his eyes. "I understand you're still looking for your husband, Martin Stein, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

"_Have you found him? I've been hoping someone would call. I can't believe it's been over a year already_."

"Um, no, Mrs. Stein, I'm sorry, we haven't," Barry replied, talking over the woman. "Some of my coworkers and I think we may have found…" Cisco quickly brought up a text document on his computer and typed out what to say, pointing at it, "We think we may have found a person of interest in the case."

"_Oh? Like who? Did they do something to my husband? I knew one day his intelligence would get him in trouble._"

Averey lifted her hands, her fingers flying miming composing a text message. "I can text you over a picture of the man," Barry said and Averey gave a thumbs up as Caitlin hurried back into her room. She reappeared seconds later, her fingers flying over the screen of her phone. "I'm having my coworker text it to you right now. You should be receiving in just a moment." There was a moment of silence before Clarissa stated that she had received the picture. Following that was an even longer stretch of silence. "Mrs. Stein? You still there?" Barry gently tapped the screen of his phone and it lit up. The counter for the call was still going. "Mrs. Stein?"

"_I'm still here. I apologize. It's just…I've seen this man before. He came into my house a little while after Martin went missing. He's why I can't find my husband?_"

"We don't think there was any foul play involved," Barry quickly explained. But she wasn't listening, she was still talking.

"_I don't understand. I saw this man's face in the newspaper. He was among those listed as being deceased. I don't know who he is or how he could have gotten to my house. He knew exactly where the spare key was and he was talking about finding his body. I just don't understand."_

"Neither do we," Cisco muttered. He covered his heard with his arms as Caitlin, Averey, and Barry all moved to hit or kick at him. "What? It's true."

"We're not exactly sure yet how he's involved," Barry said, trying to talk over Clarissa. "But, we think we'll finally be able to find him with this new development."

"_Thank you for letting me know. I've been waiting so long for some new information._" She laughed quietly. "_I know it sounds silly, but, he knew things that only Martin would know. Sometimes I wondered if somehow that man _was _my Martin._"

"Strange things have occurred in Central City for a while," Barry gently reminded her. "What's more, in my job, that's not the strangest thing I've seen."

"_No, I don't suppose it would be. Thank you for letting me know Mr…._"

"Allen," Barry supplied, "Barry Allen."

"_Oh, yes. Mr. Allen. And, I'm so sorry about what had happened with you. You have my condolences_."

"Thanks," Barry replied. He bid her goodbye before he hung up the phone. "Sounds like Professor Stein is getting really desperate." He started tossing his phone back and forth between his hands. "Not that I blame him."

"Yeah, but then this could mean that Ronnie is in more trouble than we thought," Caitlin said, chewing on her bottom lip. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them. "General Eiling tracked Bette so far that she didn't feel like she could trust anyone, let alone us. When we tried to find a way to help her, he followed her to STAR Labs to try and take her. He must know something is going on with Ronnie."

"And if he knows that, then he'll want to capture him and harness his powers even more," Averey added.

"It's all adding up though," Cisco insisted. He started counting off on his fingers. "One; Mercury Labs was working on a 'reverse particle accelerator' to be able to rid metahumans of their abilities. Two; General Eiling is tracking down metahumans that are useful to him; Three; Bivolo said that there were people that contacted him and told him that they could rid him of his abilities if he need wanted."

"So Mercury Labs, General Eiling, and whomever contacted Bivolo are all working together?" Barry asked. He shook his head back and forth. "They're connected? That just sounds—"

"Impossible?" Cisco asked, his eyebrows lifting. He lifted his hand in the air before dropping it into his lap. "Yeah, well, I used to think someone running on water was impossible but I witnessed you doing that."

"And it was only in those Sci-Fi movies Cisco showed me where people could swap bodies or even cohabitate in one," Caitlin added with a shrug of her shoulders. "You _became_ the impossible, Barry. You've changed how we view things, how we think."

Barry looked over at Averey who had become transfixed on pulling at a loose thread in the bedspread. Head down, she twisted the thread around and around her finger before pulling, increasing the length of the thread. She looked up at him, closing one eye against the lamp light. Going back in time seemed impossible too, but he had managed to do that. It was all impossible; who was he to start picking and choosing what metahuman stuff he didn't believe? Or maybe he just couldn't believe that people could act that way.

"Let's go tell Oliver," he said as he got to his feet. The girls made their way out of the room, closing the conjoining doors behind them. After quickly firing off a text to Oliver, his thumbs blurring over his cell phone, he changed his clothes and sat on the edge of his bed, waiting for Cisco. He had barely been sitting for a minute when he felt a pillow collide with the side of his head. "Dude!"

"Trust me, man, you deserved that one," Cisco replied, brushing his hair back behind his ears. He held up his hand, forefinger and thumb close together. He lowered his voice. "_This close_ to asking her out."

"Oh. That." Barry pressed his lips together for a moment before cowering when Cisco reached for the second pillow on his bed. "Keep in mind, I can turbo-pummel you with my speed." Silence. Barry slowly lowered his arms and peeked over at his friend, earning another face full of pillow. "Oof."

"You got lucky. I have two older brothers, I know how to handle myself."

Barry tossed the two pillows back at Cisco. Maybe it was brotherly side of him finally coming out, but he had the feeling that it wasn't Cisco he should be worried about.

* * *

"I've seen people in the military when power goes to their heads," Diggle said, shaking his head back and forth. "Sticking extraordinary power in their hands is a bad idea. They think they're even more untouchable than before."

Averey chewed on her thumbnail, bouncing her foot on the ground as she watched Team Flash and Team Arrow discuss their new found information. She took in a deep breath of air, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. They were getting too close to the truth. She knew the last piece of information that linked it all together, but how would she bring it up now? How could she just bring it up out of the blue after seeing how worried this whole thing was making Caitlin?

"Wait, I've got something," Felicity called, turning away from her computer. "Wade Eiling has made some big moves in funding some military technology."

"And?" Oliver prompted.

"One of his suppliers was a Klaus Marcos," Felicity explained. She used her thumb to start popping her knuckles. "An area of expertise of his just so happens to be explosives. Explosives that have been shipped overseas to the front line."

"What does that mean?" Caitlin asked.

"It could very well have been the same kind of explosives in the bomb that put Bette Sans Souci out of commission," Felicity replied. "Not only that, but it seems that STAR Labs has had previous joint ventures with General Eiling."

"You see?" Cisco asked, clapping his hands together. "Eiling has something to do with this. His name comes up everywhere." He pointed towards Barry. "He stole all the files the CCPD had regarding the bomb activity when she was around _and _he did the same with the files on F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M." His eyebrows then knitted together. "Wait, did you say Klaus Marcos."

"Indeed I did," Felicity said with a nod. "Why?"

"Harkness was known for his strengths in technology and weapons," Cisco replied. "Boomerang Bombs sounds like something he could make up, but not exactly carry out for himself." He shrugged his shoulders. "It sounds like it's something right up Marcos's ally."

"We have fragments of the boomerangs from the A.R.G.U.S case being looked at as we speak," Roy said around a yawn. "But, it could still take hours before that is completed."

"Do you have any more?" Averey asked, speaking up. "Or do you know where you could get more?" Everybody gave her a curious look. "Barry could knock that out in seconds. Then we'd know for sure."

Oliver barely got through his sentence of explanation before Barry rushed out of the room and returned carrying a plastic bag of parts. His forearms blurred as he put the pieces of the weapons back together. Averey piped up every now and then with a "That piece doesn't go there", "Turn it the other way", "No not there."

"See, look at this," Cisco said, carefully lifting one of the boomerangs. "It has Markos's signature written all over it. If he wanted to, he could level a city block without breaking a sweat."

"Stick a bomb in a man's neck and he gets the jones to blow everyone else up," Averey commented, shaking her head back and forth.

"But, I'm still confused on what this has to do with your friend," Roy said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Lyla did say Harkness would offer his services to anyone that offered up the right amount of money," Diggle explained. "Maybe Eiling gave him the right amount of money for his services."

"So once again, this all comes back to General Eiling," Oliver said, clasping his hands behind his back. "Maybe it is time we pay him a visit."

"Yeah, but where?" Caitlin asked.

"We were able to pinpoint his location when he was trying to capture Bette by using his own surveillance against him," Cisco replied. "Remember? We found him going after her at Dr. Hadley's office."

_"Dr. Hadley I think that's enough." _

_Averey was lifted off of the cold floor and pushed back into the chair she had fallen out of. Eyes squeezed shut, tears slipped down her face from the throbbing pain. Her head hurt, her hips were sore, and her chest ached with each breath she took in. _

_Something was pulled over her face and she opened her eyes, relaxing when she saw nothing but black. "Dr. Caselli, you know I have her for the duration of this period," a gentle voice replied. "We're almost done here. We need to know what kind of exposure to light she can handle otherwise she won't be of any use to us."_

_"She won't be of use to anyone if she's exhausted. One more trial for today." _

_"Of course, doctor." Scratching of a pen on paper reached her ears. "Now, stand her up and remove the blind fold. Whenever you're ready." Hands tightly gripped her arms and pulled Averey to her feet. A humming sound filled the air a moment before the cloth was pulled away from Averey's eyes. "Open them."_

_Averey's eyes were barely open when the bright light in front of her disappeared and she was out cold._

Averey clasped her hands together, threading her fingers together. She tightly squeezed them together, her knuckles all popping at one time. The pain in her fingers and tightly clenching her teeth couldn't stop her from blurting out the words that were crashing into the front of her brain.

"You need to go to Metropolis," she said, cutting across the discussion in the room. "That's probably where Eiling is; in Metropolis."

"Why?" Barry asked after a long stretch of silence. "What's in Metropolis?"

"A facility; a medical facility," Averey replied quietly. "Obviously, I mean why else would a doctor work there?" Her leg started bouncing again. She shifted her gaze to the floor before regarding everybody. "He could at Belle Reve. General Eiling, too."

"I thought that had closed down," Caitlin said with a frown, her eyebrows sliding towards each other.

"That's what I had heard," Diggle agreed with her.

Felicity's fingers flew across her computer keyboard as window after window opened up on the multiple computer screens in front of her. "Says here that the facility entered foreclosure in 2011. Oh, but electricity and water have been running through the building since…early 2014." Chewing on her bottom lip she turned around to face everyone again. "Just a few months before the particle accelerator went off."

"Look, there are even images from Google Maps showing vehicles parked outside the building on numerous occasions," Cisco said, walking over to the computer to point at the screen. Felicity slapped his hand away when he got too close to leaving a finger print. "Looks like some armored cars."

"If General Eiling managed to capture Firestorm, he took him there to experiment on him," Averey replied. She got to her feet and slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans, nodding towards the computer. "That was probably where they were going to take Bette if they managed to capture her."

"A place that far out of the way?" Oliver said, running the pad of his thumb back and forth under his chin. "Something tells me they weren't exactly conducting military business."

"I'm going to attempt to gain access to their system, see if we can get a list of those treated there or on staff," Felicity announced. After a series of key strokes, a page came up asking for a code to input. "Seems like this place is functional; it's asking for a pass code. It's only giving me numbers to try. Just give me a few minutes to crack it."

"Try…97326," Averey said, stepping closer towards Felcity. The numbers briefly appeared on the computer before it turned into asterisks.

"Mmmm, nope," Felicity said, shaking her head.

Averey moved a hand to her mouth and gave a slight nod. Closing her eyes for a moment she said, "What about 97715? Take a crack at that."

"It worked," Felicty said, clapping her hands together. "We're in."

"How'd you do that?" Roy asked. "How'd you know the numbers would work?"

"I didn't," Averey replied, opening her eyes. "I just had a hunch."

Oliver silently walked over to Averey, towering over her as he came to a stop before her. His chest slowly lifted and fell with each breath he took. For a long moment, he didn't say anything. "Where did those numbers come from?" he asked in a low voice.

"Hey, Oliver, you don't—" Diggle spoke up and quickly fell silent when Oliver merely lifted his hand in the air.

"Where did the numbers come from?" Oliver asked, pronouncing each syllable in his sentence.

Averey pressed her lips together, biting down on them. She took in Oliver's harsh gaze before finding Caitlin's. "The 977 refers to the building, unit number, and room number of the facility," Averey slowly replied, letting out a long sigh. "In this case, the 15 is the number of the patient or the staff member. So they were in building nine, unit seven, and were housed in room seven." She was silent for a moment, slowly stepping away from Oliver, from the rest of the group in the Arrow Cave. "And I know that because 97326 was my patient number. I was a patient at Belle Reve."

"What—are you sure?" Barry asked, his voice cracking.

"Positive," Averey said with a nod. "I may not remember everything that happened over the nine months after the accident, but I know I was at Belle Reve." She looked over at Caitlin and started speaking directly to her. "If Ronnie is, in fact, being held there under General Eiling's orders, then he's in more trouble than you think. The doctors that work there, like Dr. Hadley, don't exactly follow ethical procedure."

Her shoulders dropped before she lifted her hands and pushed her hair back from her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," she apologized, her voice shaking. "Or you, Cisco, or Barry, earlier. I've just only been remembering bits and pieces and…" She swallowed. "They said that they could help me understand my abilities or get rid of them if that's what I wanted."

"That's what Bivolo said, too," Cisco said and Averey nodded. "So, he had robbed those banks to get the money to fund his procedure."

"Knowing how ruthless General Eiling is, he just wanted those abilities for himself," Caitlin said, shaking her head back and forth. "So, what does that mean?"

"We're going to Belle Reve," Oliver replied. "Everybody suit up."

* * *

**A/N: **Man, I've been waiting to get to this part of the story for a while. Going back and looking at what I've done, I'm kicking myself for having it take this long to get to this part. But, things changed from how I had originally planned for it to work out.

_Ethan: _Like I said on twitter, yes, she was having a meltdown. A long overdue one in my opinion. That's going to affect her for a while, but it's what really kickstarts Barry's "big brother" act over her that leads through the rest of the story (as you got a verrrry brief sense of in this chapter).


	33. Come Back In One Piece

**-Chapter Thirty-Three-**

**"Come Back in One Piece"**

* * *

"You've all got your instructions," Oliver said as he adjusted the strap to his face mask before pulling up his hood. "Let's go." Roy, Diggle, and Barry turned and followed him out of the Arrow Cave.

"I'll catch you up," Averey said to Oliver's back as she adjusted the snug fit of her suit sleeves on her arms, "I just want to ask Felicity a question."

"Oh." Felicity blinked behind her glasses, half standing, and half squatting above her chair. She lowered herself down into her chair and crossed one leg over the other at the knee. "Ok, sure."

"In private?" Averey asked, shifting her gaze over to Caitlin and Cisco.

"Oh," Caitlin seemed to perk up in her seat before nodding her head. "Yeah, sure."

"We'll, uh…go see what kind of drinks this night club has," Cisco offered, clapping his hands together.

"It's three O'clock in the morning," Felicity pointed out to him.

"Right, because nightclubs close this time of night," Cisco said with a snort. He rubbed his hands together. "Or, I'll just go make sure the Cisco Cycle is running smoothly." Averey dropped down into the empty chair next to Felicity as she watched the two STAR Labs employees leave.

"What can I help you with?" Felicity asked. She laughed quietly. "Actually, I could help you a lot, but what specifically?"

"Well, it won't take long, I can get you back to say 'Bye' to Oliver before he leaves," Averey said. Felicity's eyebrows quickly lifted before they settled back into their normal spot. "I have eyes, Felicity. Pretty good ones in case you forgot."

"Yeah, well, nothing's happening in that department," Felicity replied, waving her hand in the air. "You know, we checked things out and returned them to the cashier for a refund." She cleared her throat. "Yep. That's what happened."

"It must be hard seeing him go off and not knowing what could happen," Averey commented and Felicity lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "At least you gave it a shot."

That was a lot more than she could say. Only she was on the other end of that situation. Whenever she went out to face a metahuman, she didn't know if she'd make it back to see her friends or anyone she cared about again. Oliver was right, though; Starling City was different, tougher, and meaner. And every threat that came through didn't have the addition of metahuman enhanced abilities; it was just the mastermind of the person.

"Um…so what was it that you wanted help with?" Felicity asked, shaking her head. She pointed her finger at the ocular metahuman. "It was important. Then again, what isn't around here?"

"Now that you're in to the system, you can gain access to all of the database systems, right?" Averey asked quietly, leaning closer towards the blonde woman. "For, like, anything?"

Felicity nodded her head, flicking at her earring. "Sure," she replied, "what do you need it for?"

"To find someone," Averey replied. Felicity blinked, waiting for more information, but Averey kept her mouth shut. "Right. Can you do it for me or not? As a favor."

"I can." Felicity started rubbing her hands together, giving her a curious look. "Is there anything…or any_one_ you're looking for?" Felicity asked. "Specifically?"

"I'll know 'em when I see 'em," Averey replied, scratching at her forehead.

"…Got it."

"Felicity, I'll owe you big if you could do this for me." She pressed her hands together as if she were praying. "I'llllll…ooh! I'll get Barry to run you coffee from Jitters whenever you want." She snapped her fingers and grinned. "Plus, I can guarantee you it'd still be hot on arrival."

"I'm sure he would be," Felicity replied. Averey made a face, lifting an eyebrow and Felicity jumped as if she was jolted. "I mean…_the coffee_! Although with how fast he would be travelling, and the friction, technically Barry would be, too. I've learned that first hand; my clothes caught on fire. That was some heat, let me tell you" She reached for the arms of her glasses and pulled them up her nose. "Achem. I will stop talking now. But, before that, yes, I will help you."

"Thanks, Felicity," Averey said with a small laugh, shaking her head. "I really appreciate it. Just let me know of everything you can get. I can give you my e-mail addy."

"Sure," Felicity replied. She reached for her computer keyboard, her fingers twitching over the keys. She sat in that position for a moment before settling back in her seat. "Whatever it is you're looking for, or _whomever_, I just hope you're being careful."

"To the best of my ability, I am." Averey reached for a stack of paper and an abandoned pen to write down her contact information. "Believe me."

/ / /

Barry lifted the mask of his suit, moving to pull it down over his head but found himself having trouble. Hitting himself on the top of the head multiple times, the material getting bunched at the back of his neck, watching Roy and Oliver prepare their motorbikes, he was distracted. He felt a pair of hands stop him.

"I've got it," Caitlin said from behind him. Barry dropped his hands to his sides as she stepped around him, helping him slide the mask over his face.

"Thanks."

"Your hands are shaking." Barry gazed down at his gloved hands, turning them over as if he was surprised to find that they were his own. They _were _shaking. More than he realized they were. "You ok?"

"Uhh…yeah," Barry replied, nodding his head. He quickly changed the nod to a shake of his head. "No. Not really." He took in a sharp breath of air through his nose. "You know we'll do whatever we can to get Ronnie back."

"I know," Caitlin simply replied, giving him a small smile. "But, I'm not worried about that. I'm asking about Averey."

"That was a lot to take in, dude," Cisco said, crossing his arms over his chest as he stepped over to his friends. His hair blew against the gentle night wind. "For anyone."

"Yeah." Barry slowly nodded his head. He felt a lone tear slide down his cheek. It was quickly followed by another, and another, and another as if he was shaking them out of him with each nod of his head. Only it wasn't sadness that spread through his body, but anger. "I just can't imagine what kind of tests they ran on her." He sniffed loudly, setting his jaw. "Did I ever tell you guys about my dad's case? I mean, _really_ tell you?"

Caitlin and Cisco exchanged glances, but shook their heads back and forth. "The police had already convinced themselves that my dad murdered my mom," Barry explained, letting out a sigh through his nose. "Even Joe told me for _years_ that my dad had done it. Not that I can _really_ blame them, it all looked like the crime scene was perfectly set out for them." He let out an odd laugh.

"When they questioned me, they kept asking the same questions over and over and over again, trying to get me to tell them what they wanted to hear. They thought the red and yellow lightning I saw that night was from the ambulance outside my house. Even my therapists told me I could have potentially had misplaced memories just to cope with what I saw that night. I didn't stay with that therapist that long as you could imagine—sometimes I started to think they were right. They wouldn't listen to anything I had to say so I just agreed with them."

"Barry." Caitlin gasped, a hand lifting to cover her mouth.

"It was the only way to get them to stop asking me questions," Barry replied, his voice flat. "I knew immediately as soon as I said it that I had a hand in incriminating my dad, so I changed my answers back, tried to explain. Only then I was deemed 'not relevant' because I was a scared kid that couldn't give a straight answer."

A part of Barry felt better for finally getting those words off his chest. He never thought he could tell Iris what had happened to him. With her father as part of the investigation, it never felt like the right time; he didn't want to be the cause of any fights between the two of them. Not more than Iris and Joe got into every time he tried to run away to Iron Heights and Iris covered for him.

"I keep thinking that they did the same with her; just tested her over and over and _over_. Or anyone they might have there." Barry's fingers curled into tight fists, crackling with lightning. "They're not going to touch anyone ever again," he warned. "I'll make sure of it."

"Barry, you didn't know," Caitlin said, stepping forward to sympathetically rub his arm. "About Averey or what those cops wanted. You can't blame this on yourself."

"As the Flash, I do my best to protect everybody," Barry protested, slowly unfurling his fingers, his body still tense. "But, I couldn't protect her. I couldn't protect my mom, and I can't protect my dad, either. What good are these abilities if I can't or couldn't even help them? I don't deserve them."

"Yes, you do, dude," Cisco protested.

"Barry, the Flash gives Central City hope," Caitlin explained. Her eyes were wide with admiration and determination as she spoke. "It reminds everyone that there _are _good people out there that are looking out for them in a time where people just look out for themselves." She took his arms in his hands and gently shook him. "You deserve these abilities, Barry, because you're a good person. Because you were _meant _for them."

"Maybe life has given you a second chance to be the protector you couldn't be before?" Cisco asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah," Barry said quietly, nodding his head. "Maybe."

"Dude," Cisco said with a sudden frown. "Our parents suck! I mean, Caitlin's mom isn't exactly happy she's in the science field and her dad died, my parents think I'll never own up to the all mighty Dante, and Barry—"

"_Cisco_!" Caitlin said, throwing her friend a harsh look.

Cisco's eyes widened and he slapped his hands over his mouth. "Barry, I didn't mean—"

"It's ok," Barry said, surprised to find himself smiling. He lifted his hand and placed it on Cisco's shoulder, gently squeezing it. "I know what you mean."

"Are you ready or not?" Oliver's gruff voice cut through the night air.

"Yeah," Averey replied, her boots crunching over the gravel littering the ground as she pulled her veyesor down over her eyes, securing the ear pieces with her hands. "We're ready."

"Hey." Barry watched as Cisco met Averey halfway across the lot. "Make sure you come back in one piece, alright?" the scientist asked.

"Believe me, Cisco, there's nothing there that would make me want to stay," Averey replied, dryly.

"Still," Cisco insisted. He used his index finger and tapped at his temple. "I don't just mean physically."

Averey's shoulders lowered just slightly as she gave him a smile, falling into step beside him as she made a beeline for the Cisco Cycle—Cisco explained that he wanted to check on the vehicle. Barry had the sneaking suspicion that he wanted to check on more than that, but didn't say anything. "Don't worry about me. I'm more concerned with getting Ronnie back."

"I'll let you get going," Caitlin said, catching Barry's attention again. "Be safe. All of you. Ok?"

"Cait, hold on a second," Barry said, grabbing Caitlin's arm. "Back at the hotel…how was Averey sleeping?"

"I couldn't really tell you, I was knocked out myself," Caitlin replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She lifted her hands and brushed the strands of hair that blew across her face, behind her ears. "It took her a bit to actually get to sleep, though. Why?"

"She told me she hadn't been sleeping well lately," Barry replied, "something she saw she can't shake."

"Like what?" Caitlin asked, her eyebrows angling towards each other in concern. "What'd she see?"

"Uhhhh." Barry stalled, mentally kicking himself. Of course she was going to ask. But, how was he going to explain to her that she saw something that happened before he went back in time and changed it? Especially to someone who didn't even recognize that things were different? "She didn't say, just that she hadn't been sleeping lately. I was just curious if you noticed anything."

"I'll keep an eye on her, if that's what you want," Caitlin suggested. She put her hands in the air. "No pun intended." Barry chuckled. "I've seen some people crack through constant study-cramming. I know the signs. I'll keep you updated."

"Thanks."

"I've always thought it'd be kind of cool to have a photographic memory like hers," Caitlin commented, crossing her arms over her chest. "But, I never really thought about the downside to it. Remembering all the good times and happy moments would be great but…I've done so well—_I _think anyway—about trying to forget about Ronnie, but if I could remember that forever, I don't think I'd ever stop forcing myself to see it over and over again."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"The first time I met Ronnie, I was pretty smitten with him," Caitlin admitted, blushing.

"Smitten?" Barry repeated the "old time" word with a teasing smile. Caitlin shrugged her shoulders, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Yeah, well, I pretty much had a script in my mind about how any future conversation would go," Caitlin admitted. "It was nothing like how I had planned it; I was blushing, and stuttering mess. I think I messed with my hair so much he had to have thought I was a ditz."

"Hey, working at STAR Labs is an incredible accomplishment," Barry reminded her. "Ronnie wouldn't think that."

Caitlin blinked her thanks. "Even after that, when I was absolutely _terrified_ to talk to him again, I did." Her voice got soft and a small smile appeared on her face. "And I talked to him again and again and again. And sometime after all of that talking, we were engaged." She sucked in a breath of air, tapping the ground with her shoe. "What I'm getting at, is you may not really get to pick your family, but you can pick people the people you want to add to it. But that doesn't mean all the responsibility of their safety is on your shoulders."

Barry lifted his head when he heard the sound of motorbikes' ignitions turning over. He bent at the waist and quickly kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Caitlin," he said. Stretching his arms and legs, he made his way over to his sister and slapped the palm of his hand on the side of her sleek white vehicle before bumping her fist with his own. "Drive safely, ok?"

"This thing barely shakes when you go over a bloody bump," Averey said as she reached upwards for the handle of the car door. "But, I will." She got out a "Thanks, Cisco," (Cisco nodded and responded with a "Yep") before she pulled the door shut down around her.

"Ready to run," Barry said, walking over to Oliver.

"About time," Oliver replied before he took off, the back tire of his motorcycle spinning so rapidly it shot gravel at Barry's shins.

Sighing, Barry took off.

* * *

"All right, Diggle and Cisco will keep watch in the van, with Felicity and Caitlin monitoring from STAR Labs," Oliver commanded in his gruff voice as he made a beeline for the dark Metropolis building. "Roy and Averey will take watch from the roof, Barry on the South side, and I'm going in North." He angled his head over towards Roy just slightly. "You think you can handle that?"

Roy stopped walking, his chest swelling as he took in a deep breath of air. "_Yes_," he replied with as much conviction as he could muster. "I can do this. I'm sorry—" He turned towards Averey and repeated his apology before setting his gaze back on Oliver, "I'm well rested. I'm thinking straight. I can _do _this."

"Yeah, and I don't know why you have me casing the roof when I reckon I'm the only one here who knows where I'm going," Averey added with a scowl.

Barry squeezed his eyes shut the second he saw Oliver slowly start to turn in her direction. They were both doing anything they could to save their respective cities, but even so, Barry always felt like he was one second away from a father-son-like lecture from Oliver. Sure, he was newer to being a hero, and, yes, Oliver had been through a lot that aided to his harsh exterior, but he was doing well for himself in Central City.

"_Do _you know where you're going?" Oliver demanded after a long stretch of silence.

Averey's lips twitched just slightly in a wince, her scowl instantly disappearing. "….Kind of," she admitted, lifting a gloved finger to scratch the back of her head. "It's been a while since I've been here, but I do remember some."

Oliver lifted a finger and pointed it in her direction, his jaw tightening as he pressed his lips together. Seeming to think better of letting known what he was thinking, he lifted his hand to the ear piece hidden under his hood. "Felicity, can you get the blueprints for Belle Reve?" he asked. Never taking his eyes off the ocular metahuman, Oliver slowly nodded his head to the response Felicity gave that only he could hear. "Let's go."

"At least I tried," Averey said as more of a question, standing back with Barry as she watched Roy and Oliver start at a quick jog towards the building. She gently punched Barry's arm. "Be careful."

"You too," Barry said with a nod before he rushed up to Oliver's side.

"What is it, Barry?" Oliver asked, sounding annoyed—much like he always did.

"You didn't have to be so mean," Barry said with a startled blink at Oliver's straightforwardness.

"I'm not letting anyone tag along if they're going to be a liability," Oliver replied, adjusting the quiver on his back. "Averey does have a point, though. She's the only one who's been here before."

"And she barely remembers it at that," Oliver said. His mustache and goatee stretched around his mouth as he pulled the corners of his lips downwards. Keeping his head on a swivel, he checked the parking lot for any sign of extra movement. "Or at least that's what she says."

"Come on, Oliver," Barry protested, "so, she's not so forthcoming with information. It must not have been easy if she can't remember it."

"Or chooses not to," Oliver replied.

"It's not like you're ever open to talking about what happened to you on that island," Barry shot back. Oliver turned around to face Barry, his nostrils flaring as he let out a breath of air. Once it hit the air, it turned into steam making him resemble a dragon. "Not that I blame you. You've been through a lot, I understand. But, that doesn't mean you can take it out on other people."

"What I've been through helps me protect my city," Oliver protested. "Talking through things doesn't work here, brute force does. If you don't like it, you can leave." He pointed a gloved finger in Barry's direction before pointing it off in the distance. "I'm only doing this as a favor to Caitlin."

"Even with Roy—"

"Roy's been through a time," Oliver said, interrupting Barry. "But, he's learning, and he's learning that you don't take your personal problems into a fight. I am trying to get things done."

"Ok," Barry said, putting his hands up defensively. Clearly, he wasn't going to get him to change his mind. "But, just because you spent all that time on that island, doesn't mean you have to give up the Oliver Queen that first stepped on that boat." Oliver opened his mouth to respond, but Barry rushed off to his post.

Placing his hands on the cool metal door, he vibrated his hands until the door shook free of its hinges. Quickly grabbing the door before it hit the concrete steps. He set the door aside and pressed a hand to his ear and said to Felicity and Caitlin back at the Arrow Cave, "I'm in."

"So am I," Oliver's voice said into his ears. The speakers in his headset made it sound like he was standing right beside him. "Arsenal?"

"Accessing the roof now," Roy said over a metal shuffling sound.

"No signs of anyone on the horizon," Averey added. "We're all clear."

There was a loud scraping and scratching sound followed by the sound of Roy's ground. "Ok, I'm in."

"Oof." Averey's grunt came shortly after. "I'm in too. That was a longer fall than I thought."

"You ok?" Barry asked, quickly and quietly stepping through the darkened hallways of the sanitarium.

"She just fell, she's ok," Roy replied.

"_If we can please get back to business._"

Barry sighed, rolling his eyes at Oliver's tone of frustration. It was like he believed no one but him could do anything right. Sure, their styles in dealing with crime was different, and, yes, Barry liked to have things settled with the least amount of conflict as he could manage, but that didn't mean that the way he dealt with situations was wrong.

Following Averey and Felicity's directions, they made their way through the twisting and turning halls of Belle Reve. Barry's stomach clenched as he hurried past many jail-like cells. Counting the numbers outside of the cells, he stopped when he came upon 26; Averey's cell. A bed was situated against the back wall under a window. Sheets were tucked tightly under the four corners of the bed, a pillow perched at the end as if it was waiting for whomever it was assigned to return.

They were in stark contrast to the rooms closer to the front of the building. The walls were painted warm and inviting colors, there was more furniture, and it almost looked like a normal college dorm room. Whoever worked at Belle Reve definitely knew how to keep their extra practices a secret.

"This wing is all clear."

Barry jumped as Oliver's deep growl came through his ear pieces. He quickly checked the rest of his area and gave an all clear before moving on. Together with the Arrow, Arsenal, and Visionary, they cleared the building of any workers before joining together at the farthest end of the building. Bursting through the doorway, they came into a room about the size of a standard bedroom. Bookshelves lined the room, packed with books.

"I think it's their archives," Barry replied, walking over to one of the book shelves filled with thick books. He pulled one off the shelf—with some difficulty as they were packed in tight—and set it down on the table in front of him. He quickly flipped through the pages, his eyes shifting back and forth as he used his speed to zoom through the text.

"Well?" Oliver asked.

Barry didn't answer but went through a couple more books on the shelf. There wasn't much to report on. Many of the books were filled with what looked like financial reports, academic research on medicinal practices, scans of checks (all signed by someone who made their name barely legible), scans of grant confirmation letters for many organizations, different exercises to aid physical therapy, and what looked like a handbook for the facility.

"There's not much here," Barry said, shaking his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary—wait!" He stopped flipping pages when he came upon a long chart. "Grouping procedures?" Putting a finger to the page he started reading down the list. Doctors names were listed to the left, listed underneath that were their patents names next to the types of tests that needed to be performed on them. Then a familiar name jumped out at him. "Averey, your name is here."

"Let me see." Oliver and Roy moved to stand on either side of Barry, but the ocular metahuman didn't move from her spot in the doorway. "Vision exam, cognitive exam, psychomotor exam? These people are very thorough with their work."

"What was the name of that other doctor?" Roy asked. "Harley or something?"

"Hadley." Barry replied, leaving the book as he walked over to his sister, who hadn't moved, staring off into space. He lifted his hand and waved it in front of her face. For a long moment, she didn't react until she shot her hand forward and grabbed his wrist.

"Don't do that," she said quietly. Her hand was shaking; and her arm. Maybe her whole body was, too. Whatever it was she was feeling (and Barry had a guess), the veyesor was making it hard to read her facial cues.

"Are you ok?" he asked. "Really."

"Yeah, I'm good," Averey replied, slowly nodding her head. "I just don't want to be here by myself." She rolled her head on her neck, her upper lip curling in discomfort. Her chest lifted and fell as she released a shaky breath. "Let's just find Ronnie and get out."

"Bette Sans Souci."

Barry rushed back over to the table and located the metahuman's name. As he spotted it, he slapped his hands down onto the table, bowing his head. "I almost missed this." Marking his place with his thumb, he shut the book and stared at the cover. "They hid information inside these medical books."

"No one would take the time to read through all of these," Roy said with a shake of his head. He let out a low whistle, almost seeming impressed. "No one would ever think twice about Belle Reve being a normal mental institution."

"And who knows just how many of these people are metahumans," Barry added. "That's all that's here; records, and papers."

"There's nothing else here," Oliver said in a tight voice before turning around to face Averey. "Are you sure this is it?" His tone wasn't one of curiosity but of rough in demand.

"Yes," Averey insisted. "I know this is it." She put a hand to her head. "You'd come down the hall, through this room." She frowned, eyebrows knitting together. "Then you were in a room of bricks. It was really dark."

"She's right," Felicity's voice came through Barry's ear piece. "You're in the right room."

"There's nothing here," Roy said with a shake of his head.

"Room in the far back right of the building, 150 square feet?" Felicity asked. "I'm not seeing anything leading else."

"Noooo," Barry replied holding out the word. He quickly rushed around the bedroom sized room before he came to a stop. "We're missing 20 square feet. At a minimum. Maybe even more."

"Rooms don't just shrink," Oliver replied, reaching for his bow.

"Have you seen _Indiana Jones_?" Roy asked, following his lead. Barry quickly ducked, dodging the arrows the two archers shot around the room. A couple bounced off the walls, others got stuck, the ends shaking violently, and a couple hit the wall and seemed to disappear. "Over there."

The group walked over to the farthest wall in the room and Oliver drew back his fist before he punched it through the weak plaster. A burst of cold air poured out of the hole as the Arrow pulled his fist back. Minutes later, the wall was broken through, they headed down a flight of stairs, and they were in a sub-level of Belle Reve.

"It's _freezing_," Roy said, his teeth starting to chatter.

"It's only 10 Celsius in here," Averey replied, pointing towards the thermostat across the room. "They'd keep the room cold to goad you into cooperating quickly." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking around the room. "They were here."

"Not too long ago if I had to guess." Oliver commented, crossing the room to the chair that sat in the middle of the room. Chains hung off the arm rests and snaked along the floor. Two pairs of handcuffs sat on the cushion, the other ends fastened to the chair. He reached out his gloved hand and ran his fingers across the side of the seat. "Blood."

Barry's heart started to pound in his chest. Wherever Firestorm was, he was injured. Maybe more so than it seemed. "Do you smell that?" Barry asked, an acrid smell suddenly reaching his nose. He lifted his hand to his mouth, making a face.

"Oh, god." Roy pinched his nose shut. "It smells like…something's burning."

"It's almost like how my Barbie smelled the one time I put her in the sandwich maker." Barry, Oliver, and Roy turned and stared at Averey. "What?" Her voice was nasally and higher pitched due to her pinched nose. "She was cold!"

"No," Barry said with a suddenly queasy stomach. "It's flesh." He put a hand to his stomach. It had been ages since he had the unfortunate experience in witnessing Farooq electrocuting himself. It was the only way he could stop the metahuman from attacking Dr. Wells. It was a smell he was sure he'd never forget, but hoped he wouldn't have to hear it anymore. "They tortured him."

"But with what?" Roy asked quietly.

"Lightning," Averey replied suddenly. Her head was bent towards the floor, a hand tightly gripping the railing of the stairs. She had released her nose. Every few seconds, her head would twitch from side to side. "Or something." Her head shot up. "A cattle prod."

"That's sick," Roy said, his voice filled with disgust.

"Sssssh!" Oliver hissed. He put a finger to his lips before lifting it into the air. Everybody stilled, trying not to make even the smallest noise as they looked towards the hallway connecting to the small room. Footsteps. Slowly coming towards them. Oliver and Roy strung arrows in their bows. "_Who's there_?" The owner of the footsteps continued to get closer with each second. Oliver shot his bow as if he was tired of waiting.

"WAIT!" Averey shouted. Roy let his arrow fly a second later. "STOP."

Barry heard a _woosh_ sound as Averey's boomerang with flying through the air. A clattering sound hit the air before a glowing purple and black object flew back in their direction. It seemed to slow as Barry used his speed to rush across the room to grab Oliver, Roy, and Averey. "LOOK OUT," Barry shouted as he pulled everyone to the ground before an explosion shook the room.

Rolling onto his back, Barry watched as Bette Sans Souci walked into the room, sliding a glove over her hands, her mouth forming a thin line. "Bette," Barry called over to her, ignoring the frantic "What?" from Caitlin and Cisco filling his ears. "Bette, you can't do this."

"You're trespassing," Bette replied.

"We just want to help you," Barry said in a pleading tone. "What happened to you?" His jaw hurt and his throat locked as a lump formed. "I thought you died. I watched you—"

Bette suddenly cried out in pain as an Arrow was shot into her shoulder. Barry reached for Oliver as he charged past him, but the green clad archer reached Bette and pushed the arrow deeper into her shoulder. "Don't," Barry cried.

"Where is General Eiling?" Oliver demanded, his teeth bared. Bette didn't answer as she reached for Oliver's hand.

"Oliver, her hands," Roy warned. "Don't let her touch you."

Bette's shout of pain grew louder as Oliver twisted the arrow in her arm, repeating his question. "WHERE IS GENERAL EILING?!" Oliver bellowed.

"She has her gloves on," Averey cried, rushing over to Oliver, trying to pull at his bulky arm. Oliver barely moved despite her making an effort to move the older man. "_She's not going to hurt you_!" She shouted over to Barry, "HELP ME!" as Roy took a few steps back from the struggling vigilantes, looking torn on what to do. She then stilled, seeming to study Bette's face. "Her eyes…"

Barry rushed forward and knocked everybody away from each other before he crouched down beside Bette. Ignoring Blood slid down her arm, squishing between her fingers as she tried to press on the wound. Her chest lifted and fell as she lifted wide eyes up to Barry. Despite looking cloudy, they glimmered with recognition and Barry gave a small, yet sad, smile.

"He's down there," she said, nodding towards the hall she had appeared in. "I came to warn you. They know you're here."

"Bette," Barry said quietly, "what happened? I just—I don't understand."

"I don't know," Bette replied, swallowing thickly. "I just remember all of this pain and all of the water and then I woke up here." She curled her fingers around the stem of the arrow and tried to pull it out of her, wincing as she did so. "How long has it been?"

"A long time," Barry replied. He gripped her arm, helping her to her feet. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here."

"She's not going to remember any of this," Averey said from where she was thrown.

"Wait." Barry blinked rapidly. "How do you—?"

"We need to get her back to STAR Labs before she snaps out of it," Averey said, interrupting Barry.

"Yeah, ok," Barry replied, nodding repeatedly. "But first, she's going to take us to General Eiling." Barry helped Better to her feet and removed the arrow from her shoulder as quickly and carefully as he could. "Act natural, like nothing is wrong, like you caught us."

"We don't have time for this. We are _not _going to take commands from—"

"_Yes, we are_!" Barry snapped, glaring over at Oliver. Oliver's lips twitched, eyes widening just slightly as if he was surprised that anyone, let alone Barry, talked back to him. "This will work."

"Let's do it, Arrow," Roy said, stepping closer to his mentor. "We can lure Eiling into a false sense of security. Get everyone out before he knows what's going on." A muscle in Oliver's jaw twitched, his eyes narrowing slightly before he nodded his head downwards very slowly.

Minutes later they were standing in an illuminated big room. General Eiling stood calmly with his hands behind his back behind a row of army men standing guard around a chair where Ronnie Raymond was slumped, head bent, eyes closed. A sign on the wall emblazoned "Department of the Army: Military Research Facility #27" in yellow paint against the greenish walls stared back at him.

"_Now_!" Oliver's voice boomed suddenly.

Averey unhooked a boomerang from her hip and tossed it over to Bette, who grabbed it with her ungloved hand. Some of the army men screamed, duck, and dove out of the way of the glowing boomerang before it exploded in the corner. Chunks of rock flew through the air as did the army men closest to the impact area. Oliver and Roy started shooting arrows at the army men who aimed guns towards them, diverting their attention away from Team Flash and Team Arrow. Barry raced around the room, removing the guns, and bullets, from the guns of the uninjured army men, incapacitating them.

The next second, Barry was on the ground, rolling in pain, his arms wrapped around his stomach. His knees had buckled the second the orb General Eiling threw into the air combusted, sending a shockwave through the room. "Owwwwwww." A foot stomped down onto Barry's hip and rolled him onto his back. Squinting, Barry peered up into the eyes of General Eiling who had a smile of amusement on his face.

"Well, well, well," General Eiling said, his lips parting in a smile of triumph. "It's about time, Flash. I knew it was only a matter of time before your need to save people would have you come running through those doors." He sniffed, nodding towards Bette, his smile fading. "You on the other hand; if there's one thing I hate, it's a traitor to the country."

"Leave her alone," Roy demanded, weakly pushing himself up to his knees. His arms shook as he tried to string his bow.

"Put it down, son," General Eiling said with a shake of his head. "Although, I do appreciate your tenacity." He pressed down harder on Barry's side and he cried out in pain. "We're only doing what we can to best serve our country. With Firestorm here _and _the Flash, well, we'll be advancing our troops in no time. Soon, we'll be the greatest military entity the world has ever known." He sniffed. "Looks like you've made some friends, Flash."

"A few," Barry wheezed. He let out a sigh of relief when General Eiling removed his foot from his side, quickly moving it out of the way of the arrow Roy shot towards him. "Why do you need Bette when you have Klaus Markos?" Gritting his teeth, he slowly lifted to his feet. His chest was heaving as he tried to catch his breath. A red haze started flickering over his line of vision. "He can make all the explosives you want. You don't need her."

"Yes, he can," General Eiling replied with a shrug, "and he will. However, this is all about new weapons technology; that's the only way we can come out on top." He gave a small grin. "Combined with Sans Souci's abilities, and after we understand _how _she is able to harness these abilities, we can equip our own soldiers with those special explosives."

"You're turning them into human explosives," Oliver said. "It's suicide."

"These men are trained to do whatever it is they should, even sacrificing themselves, to keep the citizens of this country safe." Barry's jaw dropped just slightly. How could he be so calm when talking about people's well being? The red flickering turned into a strobe like-effect as his anger built up inside of him.

As if he realized he was saying too much, General Eiling pressed his lips together for a moment. "I'm turning them into the super soldiers this world needs," he insisted, clasping his hands behind his back. "One day we'll be in for World War 3, and we need to be sure we can come out on top no matter who we're aligned with. And it would be advantageous to be aligned with Firestorm, the Flash…" He looked over at the remaining vigilantes. "Arrow, I've heard a lot about you, Red Riding Hood—"

"Arsenal," Roy snapped, his upper lip drawing back as he bared his teeth.

"Cute," General Eiling said with a lift of his eyebrow. His gaze swept over Bette who was openly glaring at General Eiling, and then they landed on Averey. Barry felt his body tense as the smile of triumph reappeared on the military man's face, slowly stretching from one side of his mouth to the other. "Nice to have you back. We weren't quite finished with you, now were we? With your eyesight, well, there wouldn't be an enemy we couldn't vanquish, would there?"

Seeing red, Barry suddenly burst forward, grabbing fistfuls of the general's shirt. "Leave!" Barry punched him across the face. "My!" He sank his fist into the man's stomach. As the General doubled over in pain, he grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him up into a standing position. "Sister!" Slamming the man into the wall, Barry could practically see yellow lightning crackle across his vision as it coursed through every vein in his body. "Alone!"

"Wait, sister?" Roy asked. "I thought your name was—"

"Not now," Oliver said at the same time Averey replied, "Long story."

General Eiling chuckled before he coughed in Barry's face. "We could do great things with your abilities, son," he said with a wheeze. His face contorted in pain as Barry pushed him harder into the wall. "It's no wonder Dr. Wells keeps tabs on everybody like you. He's a smart man, trying to keep a leash on you all. For someone who created that particle accelerator to help mankind, it is hard to wrap my mind around why he's choosing to keep it to himself."

"Because he's not you," Barry said in a low voice. "He wants to _help _mankind, not turn them into weapons."

"What do you think will happen to your precious city, this state, this _nation_ if we don't have special task force set up to deal with people like you?" General Eiling asked, his eyes narrowing. Nostrils flaring, Barry glared into the older man's dark eyes. "You _are _a weapon; being used to neutralize the threats to your city." He lowered his voice, his eyes glittering with defiance. "Maybe someone would have been able to save your mom if they had these abilities. _Your _abilities."

"_Shut up_!" Barry punched Dr. Eiling again and again and again. It didn't sink in that General Eiling was hinting that he knew his identity. In that moment, he didn't care. His fury was something he had never felt before and, in that moment, all he wanted was for General Eiling to disappear from the face of the Earth. "SHUT UP!"

Throwing the older man to the floor and around the room, blood roared in Barry's ears as his body took over his mind. He couldn't stop himself. Eiling man took every punch and kick Barry landed on his body in rapid succession. Too focused on bringing harm to the man that didn't house a single ounce of worry for the well being of the metahumans he tested on, he didn't notice the army men that burst through the doors, guns raised, and shouting at the trespassers.

He didn't notice Bette engaging in hand to hand combat with any of the army men that were able to become unarmed (threatening to turn their weapons into explosives); that Oliver and Roy were quickly disarming the guns that were pointed at them with their arrows before using their flechettes to defend themselves; that Diggle had burst through the doors with his gun drawn, to Averey who was using Roy's escrima sticks; to Caitlin, Cisco, and Felicity shouting in his ears, to Ronnie who snapped awake in his chair, screaming in pain and straining against the handcuffs and straps that held his arms and legs down.

"Help me!" he pleaded between screams, hoping for anyone to listen to him, his lips quivering. "Please!"

Everything slowed as Barry hurried through the room, taking out the army men and effectively ending the fight that occurred around the confined metahuman. Roy hurried over to Ronnie's side, dodging bursts of flames that erupted from the man in pain, and used the knife strapped to his back to cut the straps holding his wrists and ankles in place.

"General Eiling, you have failed Central City _and _this nation," Oliver declared, facing down the bloodied military man as he got to his feet. "You have tarnished what the Army stands for and have created a toxic leadership climate." In response, General Eiling spat a glob of bloody saliva onto the floor.

"We're done here, Arrow," Barry called over to Oliver. "We're taking Ronnie and leaving."

"Where are the keys?" Roy demanded from where he was standing.

General Eiling stood at ease, leveling his gaze at the gun Diggle was holding, pointing directly at him. "Son, do you really think I'm going to tell you—"

"Right thigh storage pocket," Averey said, interrupting the man. Without moving his head, General Eiling shifted his gaze towards her. "You're right handed; whenever you stand at ease, your hand grazes that area. Making sure it's still there?"

Barry rushed forward and found the keys before quickly freeing Ronnie who was now settled back in his seat, wild eyes darting around the room. "We'll be going now," Barry said as he pulled Ronnie's arm over his shoulder. Ronnie leaned heavily on him, his body heat instantly seeping through Barry's suit. "You'll be back at STAR Labs in no time, guys. Bette, too."

"I can't let you do that," General Eiling said as he used his arm to clear the blood away from his face. "You see, Ronnie, or Professor Stein, has become increasingly unstable. Dr. Caselli and I have come to the conclusion that his therapy hasn't been effective, and neither is his medication. They're both fighting for control and losing control."

"Meaning what?" Averey demanded.

"Nuclear disaster," General Eiling replied. He nodded his head over to Bette who stiffened. "Much like what happened with her but on a grander scale." He reached for his pocket and retrieved a square shaped device. "Even with the ion neutralizers we've created solely to stop him, it'd only give us seconds, minutes at best to—_ugh._" General Eiling dropped after Bette punched him in the jaw.

"Ok," Averey said as Bette shook out her hand, grimacing in pain. "I did _not _see that coming."

Bette let out an odd laugh as she removed her glove to peer at her bright red knuckles. "Unfortunately for him, I was top of my class in some areas of combat training," she commented, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulders. Her mouth formed a thin line.

"Let's go," Diggle ordered, keeping his gun trained on General Eiling who was rolling his jaw in his hand.

"After all he did to me, why should I just leave him to be arrested?" Bette asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Because that's not who you are, Bette," Barry replied, taking a step towards her, shifting Ronnie's weight on him. He ignored Oliver's loud shout of his name. "General Eiling, Dr. Hadley, anyone that worked here, you may feel like they deserved it, but it's been your job to protect people. Not to hurt them."

"It'd be so easy," Bette said, squatting, reaching her hand out towards General Eiling's boot.

"I pulled you out of that river," Eiling said as he quickly pulled his leg away from her. "I saved your life. Numerous times! After that bomb went off, you wouldn't have survived if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't be here right now. _I saved your life_!"

"YOU TOOK AWAY ANY REASON I COULD HAVE TO LIVE," Bette shouted back. "How can I live without touching anybody? Or anything?" She swallowed thickly, her jaw set. "All you've given me is pain."

"We can help you," Averey said to the taller woman. "At STAR Labs, we've been doing everything we could to capture metahumans and to learn what it is that makes us the way we are. You trusted them before, you can do it now." Bette looked uncertain. "Because of the accident, I'll forever live with some of the worst images I'll probably ever see. And it sucks not having anyone to talk to about it at times, but there are people there who treat you like a human being. And you, Bette, aren't a killer."

"The funny thing is," Bette said quietly. Barry felt his heart sink as if he could sense what she was going to say next. "No one in the military ever thinks they are. They think they're just doing their job." And then she lunged forward, bare hand outstretched.

"NO!" Barry shouted.

Diggle reacted quickly, lowering his gun to turn and ram his shoulder into Bette's chest. She stumbled backwards from the hard hit, colliding with Barry and Ronnie. Ronnie clenched his eyes shut, growling in pain.

"No, no, no, no," Roy cried, bouncing his weight from foot to foot.

"She touched Firestorm," Averey said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Which means…" Barry turned back towards Ronnie watching as his shirt sleeves and pant legs started to glow an eerie purple and black color. Second after second, it traveled closer and closer to the center of his body. "I need to get everyone out of here. Now!"

"Cisco," Averey shouted as she grabbed Bette's abandoned glove, shoving them into the woman's chest. Bette's hands shook violently as she stared in wide-eyed horror at Ronnie. "Drive as far away as you can! Hurry."

"I'm going now," Cisco replied, urgency in his voice.

Rushing back and forth between the building and into the miles of corn fields that stretched between Metropolis and a city called Smallville, Barry carried everybody out of the building as quickly as he could, leaving Ronnie last. As he carried Ronnie out of the dark building, he could feel the temperature of the man his arms building. Sweat built up underneath his suit and slid down his body. The material start to cling to Barry's body and he shifted uncomfortably with each step, silently praying for a reprieve.

With cornstalks slapping him in the face, he rushed through the field going as deep into the field as he could. The building heat had him gasping for air. He was slowing down as his body was zapped of energy. Letting out a shout of pain, Barry skidded to a stop and dropped the now engulfed in flames, Ronnie to the ground.

"Get away," Ronnie gasped out as he writhed on the soft Earth. "Hurry." Clutching his middle section tightly, his face contorted with pain. His white eyes stared up at the sky before his face was covered in flames. "_Go_."

Barry hesitated before running back to his friends. "Bette?" he asked, crouching down towards the metahuman sitting between Roy and Oliver who were watching the scene unfold in grim silence.

Bette opened and closed her mouth, her lips shaking. "I didn't mean to do this," she whispered. "I never wanted this to happen. I'm so sorry."

"_Ronnie_!" Caitlin's loud scream pierced Barry's ears and he stumbled at the sudden shout.

"I'm sorry, Caitlin, but I can't let you watch this," Averey said, reaching up for her veyesor.

"What are you doing?" Barry asked as Averey removed the device from around her head. Squinting, she looped it around her neck.

"Caitlin could have Felicity hack into the video feed I'm recording," Averey replied, her mouth forming a thin line. "I can't let her witness that." Angling her head to the side, she looked over at Barry. "Just make sure everyone is safe." With a wry grin she said, "Sweet dreams, eh?"

"Averey." His words caught in her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut, a dull purple glow appearing behind her eyelids. "Don't do—"

Barry's words were drowned out by the sound of a loud _bang. _The ground shook underneath his feet, causing him to stumble. A rush of wind pulled at his suit, pushing him backwards. He could barely hear Oliver's shout before he was knocked off his feet as a cloud of dust, dirt, and corn knocked him off his heat. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tumbled head over heels, hitting the ground and rolling, every inch of his body colliding with the ground.

* * *

Averey's head, heart, and body pounded along with the loud music that blasted through the Verdant nightclub. Maybe it was the music that was making her shake, or she still couldn't knock the fear of dread out of her body after being in Belle Reve.

Adjusting the glasses sitting on her nose, she slid her forefinger down the plastic menu she held in her hands before deciding on a Hard Apple Cider. After putting in her order, she started bobbing her head along to the pulsing beat.

Despite knowing how rough it'd be to nurse a hangover the next day, all she wanted was to drink and forget about what had occurred if only for a moment. Bette was safe, Ronnie was safe, Professor Stein was safe, and that was cause for some sort of celebration no matter how drained everyone was. Celebration and the opportunity to forget what had occurred if only for a little while.

"Cisco, for the last time, I'm telling you, I'm _fine_," Caitlin said as she put in her drink order. "I know it's weird that I'm here and not back at STAR Labs with Ronnie, but…I've been without him this long, I can stand one more night." She brushed her hair behind her ears. "I won't be of much help until they wake up and Dr. Wells said he'll call the second they do." She sighed, looking exhausted. "Besides, I still needed to help Felicity, you all needed to track down Digger Harkness, and I _really_ needed a drink."

"Who doesn't?" Cisco asked, his head moving back and forth as she looked over the menu. He sighed, setting his menu down. "Do you think he hates me?"

"Who?" Caitlin asked. "Ronnie? Of course not."

Cisco nodded. "He was _right there_ Caitlin. I could have opened the pipeline doors and gotten him out that night," he replied.

"I know Ronnie wouldn't ever hate you for saving as many people as you could," Caitlin insisted. "And neither do I."

"How could anyone hate you, Cisco?" Averey asked, blinking at him from behind her square-ish lenses.

"Well, let's see there's Hartley," Cisco said, counting off on his fingers, "but that's like a mutual hate, anyway. And then there's Dante…which, again, is a mutual hate." He shrugged his shoulders. "Stranger things have happened."

"Which is why I'll be there as a buffer when you go to his birthday party," Caitlin said with a smile.

"I guess I have no choice in the matter?" Cisco asked and Caitlin shook her head no, her smile widening. "I thought not."

Barry placed his hands on Caitlin and Cisco's shoulders, giving them a smile as he stepped past them to find an empty seat at the bar. He gave Cisco a pointed look before leaning down to whisper something in Cisco's ear as Averey held out the list of drinks for him.

"What are you all whispery about?" she asked as Barry sat down on the other side of her.

"Nothing," Barry replied. He nodded in greeting to Roy who sat on the other side of him before he buried his head into the fold out menu.

"Look, um," Cisco said as he shifted in his seat to face the ocular metahuman. "I was wondering if you…wanted to…go to Dante's birthday party. With me." His lips twitched and he quickly corrected himself. "Us. With us. Caitlin. And me."

"Wellll," Averey said, holding out the word, "since you make it sound like so much fun. Why not? The more friends there the better for you, right?"

"Yeah, right," Cisco agreed with a smile. "I'll give you all the deets once we're back in Central City."

"Cool," Averey replied with a nod of her head. She jumped when, in the short beat of silence between the music, the spine of the plastic menu hit the counter with a loud _whack_ as it slipped from Barry's fingers. Barry quickly grabbed the menu, all the while giving Cisco a pointed look as he muttered, "Sorry. It slipped."

"Here you go. Sorry for the wait."

"Thanks, Thea," Roy said as he took his beer from the bar. The woman behind the bar nodded as she set the other beer bottles and glasses of cocktails across the bar counter towards the members of Team Flash and Team Arrow. She gave a nod of recognition when Barry placed his order. "I owe you."

"No problem," Thea replied, tucking her tray under her arm. "No offense, but you all look like you could use them. Rough night?"

"You could say that," Caitlin said with a half smile as she gently grabbed her glass, lifting the rim to her mouth.

"I haven't seen you around here before," Thea commented. "New to Starling City?"

"Just passing through," Barry replied. Under his breath he added, "real fast" and smiled into his chest when he heard Cisco snort. "Hi. Barry Allen."

"Oh." Thea's eyes widened slightly. "You're the guy who—"

"Got hit by lightning," Barry finished for her. "Yeah."

"Sorry," Thea replied with a sheepish smile. "I'm sure you get that a lot."

"Not so much," he said with a small shrug. Thea moved to get Barry's drink. "It's a lot better than being known as the son of the guy who murdered his wife," he added under his breath.

"Or the daughter of the guy who had an affair?" Averey asked, angling her head just slightly to smirk at him. Barry made a face.

"Well, if you guys need anything," Thea said, handing Barry his drink, "just look for me. I'll be happy to help."

"Cheers," Averey said, holding her hand out towards the girl. "Averey Moore."

"Thea Queen." Thea shook her hand before rubbing her palm on her apron. "Sorry about that. I promise, it's just water."

"Oh, no worries."

"I'll go find us a table," Cisco said, sliding off his bar stool. Roy nodded at Thea, who moved to attend other patrons of the bar, before he followed the STAR Labs employee. "Why do I get the feeling something happened between you two?"

"It's a bit of a long story," Roy replied with a short laugh.

"Uh, Caitlin," Barry said, rubbing at his forehead. He wrapped his fingers around his beer and angled it towards his friend. "Do you think you could—"

"Yes, Barry, I'll try my best to get you drunk this time," Caitlin said with a half smile of amusement. Barry smiled his thanks before sliding his unopened bottle across the table to her.

"Thanks," Barry replied as Caitlin took the bottle. "I _really_ need it."

"No problem."

"America _is _a whole new world," Averey said with a shake of her head as Caitlin disappeared into the crowd of dancing bodies. "Never thought I'd see the day where a bloke _wants _their drink to be spiked." Barry responded to her look of amusement with his own smirk. She took a long swig from her hard drink and swallowed. Smacking her lips she said, "You scared me today, Barry."

"What do you mean?" Barry asked, confused.

"I mean…you were acting a lot like Oliver," Averey explained. She kept her gaze on the shelves of glass lining the wall behind the bar counter. She turned in her seat to face him, locking eyes with her brother. "Doing anything to get answers, causing bodily harm? You were so angry and that's not like you."

Barry sucked in a breath of air, twisting his mouth to the side. Crossing his arms over his chest, he settled back against the back rest of his chair. His facial features relaxed in comparison to the hard stare Averey was receiving. "Don't mess with my family," he quietly replied.

"Bar-ry," Averey groaned, tilting her head back. Barry widened his eyes innocently. Tapping the glass of her beer, she sucked in a deep breath of air through her nose. "I'm scared they'll figure it out."

"What?"

"That you're the Flash?" Averey asked, lowering her voice so the loud, thumping music could drown her out. Barry's eyebrows crinkled together. "General Eiling recognized me. He has access to a lot of things; he could put two and two together if he hasn't already done so. He's not exactly dumb, and he's ambitious." A muscle in Barry's jaw twitched as her words sunk in, but he didn't say anything. "I just don't want you to be their next target; to be their next lab rat." Averey twisted her mouth to the side. "More than Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco already treat you, I mean."

"That's different," Barry protested. "Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco just want to help."

"Maybe General Eiling sees it as helping people, too," Averey suggested. Barry's eyebrows lowered as he frowned. Averey put her hands up defensively. "I'm not defending him, mate, I'm just saying that it's not as simple as him doing a bad thing." Barry scoffed. "Good people can do bad things when given enough motivation. Everyone has the opportunity to do bad things in their lives and will at one point act on it."

"No," Barry said, shaking his head back and forth. "There's good people and bad people; it is as simple as that."

Averey opened and closed her mouth before deciding to keep quiet. She didn't think she'd ever be able to change Barry's mind on the topic. It made her stomach churn. According to him, she was a bad person, and her reasons behind her actions didn't mean squat and never would. "I don't believe that," she said, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Don't worry," Barry reassured her. "Don't I always?"

Averey chose not to verbally answer, but snorted, lifting the rounded lip of her beer bottle to her mouth. "There's more to us than being metahumans, Barry," she said more out loud to herself then to him. "Maybe one day people will realize that."

Barry smiled.

"What?" Averey asked. "What are you smiling at me like that for?"

"Nothing," Barry replied with a shake of his head, the smile never leaving his face. "You sound just like dad, that's all." He cleared his throat. "Um, speaking of which. I was thinking…when we get back, we should take some time and go visit dad. Together?"

Averey felt her lips part in a bright smile and Barry matched it with a smile of his own. "I'd like that," she said, nodding her head. "Bro."

Barry chuckled as he reached for his pocket and retrieved his phone, its faceplate lit up. "Oh, I got a text from Joe." Averey watched as he opened the message, his facial expression changing. "I could really use that drink, now."

"What's up?"

"Joe says that they just found Sherry Covington's body," Barry replied, putting his hand to his forehead. "She was dumped on the front steps of CCPD." Averey jumped when Barry suddenly slammed his fist down onto the counter.

"But…we changed things," Averey said, shaking her head back and forth. "Weather Wizard is in the pipeline, and Cisco is ok."

"But, we could never find the Reverse Flash," Barry said as he locked his phone. He groaned, running his hands over his face. "Whoever he is, he must've known I was gone. There was no one there to stop him and he knew it."

"So, we just made things worse?" Averey asked quietly.

"I don't know. I guess?" He put a fist over his mouth and said quietly, "It should have worked."

"Great." A sharp throb of pain exploded in her head and Averey's hands flew up to her temples, pressing on them with the heels of her palms. "Ah!"

"You ok?" Barry asked.

Squinting with one eye, Averey saw the look of alarm on her brother's face. "Yeah, it's just a headache." Slowly breathing through her mouth, she nodded, the pain slowly subsiding. "It's already going away. I got my bell rung pretty good in that explosion, yeah? You know how it is after, headaches, altered vision."

"Then maybe drinking isn't going to help," Barry said, mockingly pulling her hard cider away from her.

Averey stuck her tongue out at him, taking her drink back. "How long was I out this time?" she asked. Lifting her hand, she used her finger to retrieve the hair that was stuck under the arms of her glasses.

"Not that long, actually," Barry replied. "You were out the second the explosion happened. Even from that far away, it must have been really bright." Averey made a humming sound in agreement. "I don't know how anyone could manage sitting through that without having their ears ringing for a while, anyway."

_I don't know how anyone can do any of this_, Averey thought to herself with a long sigh.

How did police officers, and firefighters, and EMTs go through each day and see some of the most horrific and terrifying things the world had to offer? They weren't equipped to facing off against metahumans though; only they were. Even with Eddie's task force, the only ones who could stop metahumans were other metahumans. Either they turned out to be the criminal causing type or they were trying not to be noticed. Not that she could blame them.

If there were going to be metahumans around, then she'd do her best to keep Central City safe. They both would, no matter what. Maybe for different reasons, but the end results were the same. Getting their dad out of jail was always going to be Barry's main priority, and she would do whatever she could to help him with that goal. If that meant keeping the Royal Flush Gang or anybody at Belle Reve off his trail, she'd do whatever she could to make that happen. Barry was the only one who could ever get fast enough to catch the Reverse-Flash and have him confess to being the one that killed his mom.

Sometimes, it surprised her to know that Barry could remember that night so vividly and matter of fact. Only she was able to remember things so easily due to her abilities and even then, her memories before the event were able to be recalled but fuzzy at times, like they should be. Everyone responded differently to trauma, and Barry clearly didn't want anyone, even himself, to forget his mother. She wished she could give Barry even some of her abilities, to make sure he'd always remember his mom. He gave her his blood after all (and the ability to heal, albeit nowhere near as quickly as he could), it was only fair.

"I'll be right back," Averey said, suddenly getting to her feet.

"Where are you going?" Barry asked.

"I'll be back in a bit," Averey replied. "Just watch my drink and save me a seat. Thanks." Averey cut across the dance floor—dancing her way through to quickly cut across. Throwing an elbow jab and foot stomp back to some of the more pushy dancers, she squeezed her way past the writhing bodies.

Making sure no one noticed her, she slipped into a back hallway and hurried towards the Arrow Cave. "OLIVER!" Averey cried as she hurried down the stairs as quickly as she could take them.

"Yes?" Oliver asked, his back to her as he briefly paused in working the salmon ladder. He let go of the bar, dropping down to the floor before he picked up the towel sitting off to the side, wiping his face and bare chest with it.

"I need your help," Averey said, making a beeline to the vigilante. Oliver lifted his eyebrows, silently asking her to get to the point. "When we were out patrolling for Harkness, Roy told me that you helped him work through some issues with meditation. I need you to help me."

Oliver crossed his arms over his chest. He was silent for a long moment staring at her before he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, bowing his head. Turning on his heels, he walked away from her. Averey stared at his retreating form. "I need to remember what happened after the accident. Help me remember, Oliver." He continued walking. "Please!"

Still getting no response Averey stomped her foot. "Damn it," she whispered, tightly gripping a handful of her hair.

"If you want to do this, you have to be able to clear your mind," Oliver said as he made his way over to her. He was now wearing a t-shirt and held a single lit candle in his hand. "Is that something you can do?"

"Ha." Averey made a face. Oliver blinked. "Wait, you're serious."

In short, no. She _never _stopped thinking. She needed to have a lie ready for anything and everything if it ever came up. She had to supply herself answers for why things didn't turn out the way she had planned it in her head, or why conversations didn't flow like she expected it to. Her over thinking not only often got her in even more trouble then she anticipated, but it also made her chicken out of a lot of things and hem and haw before finally acting on things. She hated not knowing how things would turn out' her thoughts filled that void.

"Assume I always am," Oliver replied, ticking an eyebrow upwards. "Sit down."

Averey let out a breath of air, her shoulders relaxing. "You're going to help?" she asked, feeling a hint of a smile come to her face. She mentally retracted all the eye rolls, sarcastic thoughts, and snippy comments she had thrown his way (whether he knew it or not). Maybe she had jumped the gun about him.

"_Sit. Down._"

Then again, maybe not. Averey instantly dropped to the floor, crossing her legs.

"I do want to help you, Averey. Maybe it's the only part of the 'old' Oliver Queen I have left; the one that liked to help people." He pointed at her. "You need to be willing to help yourself. You and Roy aren't that different in your experiences. There are moments where you've acted but outside influences have made your brain block the memory." Averey slowly nodded. "This will not work if you try and force yourself to remember. Just relax. Do you think you can do that?"

Averey hesitated, opening and closing her mouth. Pressing her lips together, she twisted her fingers in her lap. Did she _want_ to was the better question.

She didn't know much about meditation but knew it involved using your mind. She had tried for days to not fall back into the night of Cisco's murder, doing whatever she could to squash the images as soon as they started clicking through her mind. It was hard enough to actively stop thinking when she was around her roommates (who knew what information she could have inadvertently slipped since living there?), but trying to avoid thinking about watching someone's hand (someone she couldn't remember) go through her friend's chest was harder.

She just had to decide what was scarier: accepting the unknown—and she hated not knowing how things would turn out—or facing it head on?

"Do you think you can do that?" Oliver sounded impatient.

"Y-yes." Swallowing thickly, Averey nodded. "Yeah."

Oliver bobbed his head up and down in a slow nod, scrutinizing her. Parting his lips he said quietly, "Then let's get started."

* * *

**A/N: **I went back and forth for the longest time about whether or not I was going to show Belle Reve from Averey's point of view before ultimately deciding it was from Barry's. While Belle Reve does mainly pertain to her and her back story, I think seeing how it affects her as an aftermath would be more powerful to show.

_Ethan: _Oliver is a control freak in an understandable way, in my opinion. He's been a vigilante longer than Barry has and he knows what he does works. As you could see in this chapter, Averey and Barry have gotten closer, but they've figured out that they're on opposite stances on the idea of good and evil. That, for sure, is going to put them at odds in some cases moving forward. As always, thanks for reading.


	34. You Can't Save Everybody

**-Chapter Thirty-Four-**

**"You Can't Save Everybody"**

* * *

_ARE YOU SURE YOUR CITY IS SAFE?_

Barry shook his head repeatedly, trying to shake the image of the handwritten note that was shoved into his face the instant he set foot in Captain Singh's office. Now it was sitting so harmlessly in a plastic bag on his desk, just out of arm's reach. Almost like it was taunting him, distracting him from whatever it was Captain Singh was saying.

Catching bits and pieces here, Barry had to have heard his boss wrong. There was no way that he and Joe were—

"Suspended," Joe repeated his boss in a monotone. Almost sounding like he was in a daze.

"_Suspended_?" Barry echoed, managing to choke out around the lump in his throat. "You can't be serious. You—you can't do that!"

"Barry," Joe said in his deep, soothing tone. He looked perturbed but unlike Barry, was keeping any thoughts and feelings to himself.

"It's not like _we _killed her."

"Barry!"

Barry slumped in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Maybe he was acting like a bratty kid that wasn't getting his way, but this was _not _what he was expecting to return to Central City to. A part of him did blame himself; the Reverse-Flash (Barry just _knew _that he was involved—the note pretty much confirmed that) all but called him out for abandoning the citizens of Central City. There was a good reason to go to not only Starling, but Metropolis, but he did leave Central City defenseless.

But he wasn't going to sit by and be kicked off his job for something CSI-Barry had nothing to do with. He didn't join the Police Department to have his position stripped from him. But what could he, realistically, do about it? If Captain Singh wanted someone off a case, he'd keep them off a case as he had rarely witnessed.

Captain Singh, who looked equal parts annoyed and exhausted, slowly closed his eyes before he settled back into his chair. He then leaned forward, folding his arms on the top of his desk as if he couldn't figure out which position was more comfortable.

"I just did," he replied. His eyes sweeping from left to right, he regarded his two subordinates. "And, yes, I very well _can _'do that'." Pushing his chair back, he got to his feet and adjusted his tie. Barry watched as he crossed the room to his window overlooking the office—where everyone at their desks quickly went back to work instead of trying to see what was going on in inside—and closed the blinds. "Look, I'm not too happy about having to do this."

He was speaking in a calmer, somewhat depressed tone; one that Barry hadn't heard from the man before. "I don't _want to _suspend you. You're lucky I was even able to convince Internal Affairs to suspend you with pay."

"Thank you so much, sir," Joe said as Captain Singh turned away from the window.

"Of course," Captain Singh replied with a nod of his head. "We've been working together for years now, Barry a few years now, and I know you're both honorable, hard working people."

Huh? Barry blinked in surprise. Captain Singh always commented on Barry's tardiness and excuses. With his sighs of impatience and the rolling of his eyes, Barry knew exactly what his boss was thinking. Only now, he had no idea what was going through his boss's head. He was actually being nice? And trying to help them? Not that Captain Singh couldn't be a nice guy; he _did _have a fiancé after all. But, when he was at work he was as serious as they come.

Lifting an eyebrow, Captain Singh crossed the room back to his desk. His chair creaked as the chair absorbed his body weight. "Why do you look so surprised, Allen?" he asked, sounding annoyed. "I recognize your passion and talents in the field despite my ongoing confusion as to how you can always be so late."

"Uhhhhh." Barry wisely chose not to answer that question. "It's…I just can't believe this is happening."

"We've had witnesses step forward and state that they saw not only you and Joe, but two of your friends in Sherry Covington's home days before she was founded murdered on the steps of _this _precinct." Captain Singh jabbed his forefinger onto the dark wood of his desk. "I'm following protocol here and I can't say that it doesn't look bad. I'm sure, no I _know_, everything will work out, just make sure you have your stories straight and get in contact with your union representative as soon as you can."

"With all due respect, sir, this was off duty and we had permission _from her_ to enter the premises," Joe explained, suddenly sounding very tired. "I don't understand why this is all happening." He quickly caught himself at Captain Singh's scrutiny. "I mean, I do understand; of course I agree that it looks bad. I just don't see why as an off duty project of our own _days_ before Sherry's body was signed, sealed, and delivered to us, we would have to be investigated."

"Whether it was an off duty event or not," Captain Singh said in a tight voice, "you were potentially the last to see Sherry alive. We're still trying to understand what had occurred between you being placed at her home, and finding her here." His eyebrows knitted together as he silently regarded his oldest co-worker before he suddenly looked embarrassed. "Before her disappearance, some neighbors report her…'gossiping' about the handsome police officer that had visited her home."

Joe opened and closed his mouth. "I had stopped by her home to request permission to gain access to it," he explained. "She did seem…interested."

"Why?" Captain Singh asked. Joe hesitated, lifting an eyebrow. "I apologize, I mean, why did you want permission to her home?" He shrugged. "I have to be prepared to know what you're going to say if I'm going to help you through this."

"Has her family been notified?" Barry asked, changing the subject. How was he going to explain that they used a STAR Labs device to gather evidence in his parents' case? Evidence that the Central City Police Department had no chance of obtaining for themselves. Evidence that prompted him to come up with the idea that he could run back in time and save his mom. "I know what it's like to lose a parent at a young age. I'm worried about her kid."

For a split second, Barry was sure he had seen Captain Singh's demeanor soften to one of sadness and understanding before it was replaced with his usual serious gaze. "It is my understanding that they have been contacted, yes," Captain Singh replied with a nod of his head. "I'm sorry it's come down to this, but surely you can see why it has." Barry nodded his head. "You'll be back to work after the investigation has come to a close. Just make sure you're free to be questioned. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, Captain."

"Good." Captain Singh got to his feet and ran his hands down his chest, smoothing his tie. He crossed his room to the door and pulled it open, bellowing, "THAWNE" out into the work room. Seconds later, Eddie panted as he tried to catch his breath from his quick sprint to the door.

"Captain?" he asked, removing his tie from where it settled on his shoulder. "You wanted to see me?"

"Joe and Barry have been suspended until further notice," Captain Singh explained and Eddie's eyes widened. "I'm giving you the opportunity to continue work on the cases you've already been assigned to by yourself. I'll give you a list of those you'll be in contact with as you work with them until all of this—" he waved his hand in Joe and Barry's direction, "gets cleared up. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Eddie replied with a nod."No problem."

"Good," Captain Singh replied. "Get started. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Whatever else you have going on, on duty or off—" Eddie looked like he was going to protest, but seemed to think better of it and stayed silent, "that doesn't matter now." Eddie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "If we don't get a cap on this, the city is going to panic more than they could be doing this very moment."

"I understand," Eddie agreed.

Captain Singh nodded his head before turning back towards his suspended workers. "I don't want to hear about either of you keeping up with any of your cases." He narrowed his eyes just silently and Barry shifted in his seat. Shifting his gaze around the room, he suddenly became fascinated (seriously) with knowing that Captain Singh had gotten a degree in psychology and was proudly hanging the framed diploma on the wall. "Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Barry jumped when Joe elbowed him in the side and he rapidly nodded his head, smiling, as he agreed.

Captain Singh let out a long sigh, seeming to deflate in front of his eyes. "I really don't want to do this, but think of it this way," he lifted his hands, almost in a motion of begging, "you're getting some time to relax and regroup before this all clears up. And I know it will. Take some time to yourselves, time that's been long overdue, I think. Way too long."

Barry looked up at Captain Singh and suddenly felt a sense of admiration for the man. It was only there for a brief moment, but Barry could see the compassion and empathy in the man's eyes. Certainly he deserved that psychology degree. Despite his hard outwards disposition, there was a reason why he not only had a fiancé, but was well respected in his area. He never thought he'd see it, but Barry was witnessing his softer side, the side of Captain Singh he readily showed outside of work.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with Internal Affairs," Captain Singh said, making a face as if he had just sucked a lemon. "Joe, Barry, I'll do my very best to get this sorted out quickly." He then lifted a warning finger into the air. "And don't do anything to make this worse. I know your mother's case is really important to you, but let someone else handle it. Please."

Barry barely managed to give Captain Singh his thanks before his boss strode out of the room. He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them and he repeated the action over and over. This had to be a bad dream. He would wake up form it any minute now. Joe was saying something to him, jostling him with his elbow. No, it wasn't a dream. It was all real.

_Dr. Wells was right, _Barry realized, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. _This wouldn't have happened if I just stuck to what had happened before I went back in time. _Only then, Joe would be the one in danger, Central City would be threatened with the tidal wave, and Cisco would be dead. And if he hadn't gone back in time and changed things, then they wouldn't have found Ronnie and Bette. Which option was the better choice? What else could go wrong? Barry didn't have that much time to think about it (not that he wanted to) when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" he asked, looking up at Eddie who was now standing beside him. Joe's seat was now empty as he stood in the doorway of the office. "Did you say something?"

"I was just saying that I'm sorry that things had to happen this way," Eddie repeated himself. "I know it must be hard to have your family and what happened to your mom brought back into the media."

The media? He hadn't realized…of course, this was the second murder in that home. How could it _not _be brought up again? A deep frown forming no his face, he wondered how his dad was doing. The news was bound to spread through Iron Heights soon enough. That thought (and worry) alone made Barry bite down on his tongue to hold back a reflexive, unwarranted smart remark.

What would he, Eddie Thawne of all people, really know about it? Apart from what Iris undoubtedly told him, anyway? He knew the young detective wasn't one to try and steal someone's job. It was just annoying to see that he was already perfect in every other area of his life, there was no way he'd screw up an opportunity like this. He was known as being a hot shot within the police community in Keystone, something he seemed to be proud of. Not to mention, everything was going smoothly between him and Iris—not that Barry wanted Iris to be unhappy. He just, admittedly, yet selfishly, wanted her to be happy with him.

However, he couldn't ignore that it was Eddie who took over all of Joe's cases while Barry was in a nine month coma—from what he was told. It was Eddie who helped bring a new energy to the department that pushed everyone to work better. It was Eddie who, day in and day out, worked alongside Joe to make sure they both came back safe and sound. Barry had to admit that he was a good guy, and in some instances a good friend—like he was exhibiting in the moment—but his overall perfectness bugged him from time to time.

But, he was going to be the bigger person and say, "Thank you."

"If I can do anything to help, just let me know," Eddie replied. "Both of you."

"We appreciate it," Joe said, clapping Eddie on the shoulder. "But, I think we're going to be ok."

"Ok," Eddie hesitated for a moment. "Yeah." He shifted his weight, looking like he tripped over his feet, or was trying to decide if he wanted to say anything else, before making his way out of the office.

"_Are _you going to be ok?" Joe asked, rounding on Barry as soon as the door was shut behind him.

"I don't even know," Barry replied with a shake of his head. "Joe, _he knew_ I wasn't here. The Reverse-Flash knew that no one was here to protect Central City." He shook his head faster before bringing his thumbnail to his mouth, biting down on it. "I shouldn't have gone."

"From what I understand," Joe said as he reclaimed the seat he had previously vacated, "you had no choice but to go. You like helping people, Barry. I know there was no way you could have left Ronnie and Bette at Belle Reve for them have god knows what done to them." He silently regarded Barry. "Don't beat yourself up for doing the right thing. You saved two people."

"At the expense of someone else," Barry reminded him.

"You can't save everyone, Barry."

"But, I can try."

Barry did not expect Joe to start laughing. Yet, he found his foster-father trying to hide his smile and shaking shoulders from him. "What's so funny?" he asked with more bite than he intended. He had just been suspended and was responsible for the death of an innocent woman. It was no laughing matter.

"Nothing, I'm sorry," Joe replied with an apologetic smile. "It's just that I'm proud to see just how alike you and Henry are." He gave Barry a fond smile. "You both have always wanted to help as many people as you can as long as you have the ability to. Kind of stubbornly I might add."

Barry gave a half smile before it disappeared. "It's like I told you when you first decided to join the police," Joe said with a heavy sigh, "you're not always going to have easy cases. There will be days where things _really _stick with you." He clapped Barry on the shoulder. "Just don't let it consume you. If you feel like it has come talk to me or Captain Singh." Barry scoffed. "I know, but it when it comes to having a healthy mind on this job, Captain Singh will listen and do his best to make sure you're ok. Ok?"

"Ok," Barry agreed with a nod of his head, his gaze going back to the degree hanging on the wall. "I will."

"Ok." Joe and Barry got to their feet. "So what are you planning on doing for the rest of the day?" He stretched his arms out. "We have all this free time now."

"I think I'm going to head down to STAR Labs, see how things are going with Ronnie and Bette," Barry replied. "I'm not ruling out a trip to the bar, though."

"Mmm, I think I might join you," Joe replied with a laugh. Barry felt himself smile as Joe wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him into his chest for a tight hug and ruffling of his hair. It was nice to know no matter what happened, Joe would be there for him, even when things got really hard.

"What are you going to do?" Barry asked as they made their way out of the building. Aware from the stares and whispers. You'd think after years of people wondering if he was "the one who's dad killed his mom", he'd be used to it. All the attention still made him uncomfortable. He could never tell if people were feeling sympathy for him (which he hated), or was making fun of him (which he hated even more).

"Sleep." Barry let out a startled laugh. "I honestly think this would be the first time since Iris was born that I'd actually get a decent amount of sleep."

"Oh, I see." The men silently stared up at their place of work before heading in two different directions, lifting their hands in a small wave.

Deciding to walk all the way to STAR Labs to clear his head from what he had just experienced, Barry reached for the phone in his pocket. Using his thumb, keeping his eyes up to make sure he didn't walk into anything, he dialed a number and lifted his phone to his ear.

"They actually suspended us," Barry said into his phone as soon as he heard the click on the other end indicating the call was answered.

"I'm having a great day, Barry, it's so nice to hear from you."

Barry briefly closed his eyes, sighing at the somewhat annoyed, and sarcastic, tone of Oliver Queen. "Hi, Oliver, how are you?" he asked in a monotone.

"I've got a feeling that I'm doing better than you are," Oliver replied. "And that's saying something." Barry couldn't help but let out a laugh. "What's going on?"

Barry stopped walking in the middle of the sidewalk, quickly jumping out of the way of the group of people behind him that he didn't realize was there until they started shouting because they were about to run into his back. Offering a quick apology to those who were shooting him annoyed looks, he pressed his mouth to his phone and explained everything that happened to Oliver. Apart from "mhmm" every now and then, the Starling City hero didn't say much.

"You can't be in two places at once, Barry."

Barry closed his eyes, scratching the back of his head. "If I have one more person tell me that—"

"I'm sorry you can't handle the truth, Barry. But you can't. You have to make tough choices with this job."

"I know."

"Do you? Because there's always going to be people in trouble and there will always be a choice you have to make. You have to learn that no matter what choice you decide upon, you'll stick to it and you won't look back."

Barry twisted his mouth to the side as he listened to Oliver's somewhat harsh, yet truthful words. The guy had spent five years missing on an island with no one to help him but himself. Sure, he wasn't on the island anymore and had transitioned back into society well enough, but Barry tried to listen whenever he was giving tips, whether he ultimately agreed with them or not. The guy had a couple years experience over him on not only looking out for his city, but for himself. He didn't always agree with Oliver's methods of survival, but he could admit the man knew what he was talking about.

"I'm sorry that woman was killed the way she was, but that's not your fault. I know you feel you have some involvement due to her living in your old home. You can't become personally attached to everybody that needs saving. Isn't that what they teach you as a public servant?"

It's what Joe had been telling him all these years. There were days, almost a lifetime ago before Barry joined him at the CCPD, where he could return home and Barry just knew that he had a tough day. There were times, not a lot, but there were times where Barry had witnessed a tear or two fall down his cheeks in the comfort of the master bedroom of the West home. It was scary to see him so beat down, on the verge of tears, trying to hold it together.

Even on the night of his dad's arrest, and that one time he was _finally _able to see him in Iron Heights, Henry Allen never once shed a tear. Maybe that had helped Barry continue to believe that one day he'd see his dad outside of those prison bars. Because his dad kept himself together, Barry had done his best to do the same. What would he have done if he had found his dad crying? How many times had he spent a lonely night in Iron Heights finally allowing himself to feel?

"Barry? Are you still there?"

Barry shook, as if he was suddenly doused in cold water. "Yeah," he replied. He swallowed thickly, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm here."

"You still have a lot to learn."

"I know."

"But, I know you can do it. It's like I said before, you can give the people of Central City hope. You can give them someone they can believe in no matter what. No matter what happens or what anyone tells you, you are doing your best to help in a way that no one else can. You could have used your abilities for anything else, but you chose to do this. Not a lot of people are selfless enough to do that. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you."

He _was _proud of what he was able to accomplish. He was finally working with a man he always wanted to learn from. He was working with two of the smartest minds he had ever met and returned the fiancée of one safely. He had managed to take dangerous metahumans off the streets. Despite everything, he insisted on keeping his last name and proving to everyone that there was no shame in being an Allen.

"I know we don't always see eye to eye, Barry, and I know I'm not always forthcoming with you trying to help out. I _know _that you're what Central City needs and I know you have what it takes. I know because we're fr—from the same cloth."

"Were you just going to call me your friend?" Barry asked, feeling his eyebrows lift. His surprise turned to amusement when he heard Oliver's huff of air. He could practically see the annoyance in Oliver's eyes as he undoubtedly rolled them. "You were, weren't you?"

"I'm hanging up."

"Come on, you can admit it, Oliver. We're friends. It's not that hard." Barry made a humming sound, pretending to think. "Or are you still salty that I beat you in your underground fight—"

"First of all, you didn't' beat me. Secondly, bye, Barry."

"See ya, _buddy_."

Oliver had already hung up, but he didn't care. For a second time, Oliver had given him the support he needed from someone who knew exactly what it was he was going through. He felt a little better, but if this was something he had to expect in the future, he didn't know how he'd ultimately handle it. Nevertheless, he walked into STAR Labs feeling a little bit better.

"Hey, Barry. How ya going?"

Barry froze for a moment in the Cortex, his foot hovering in the air before he placed it on the ground and walked over to Averey who was sitting in Caitlin's chair, repeatedly lifting and lowering her head to gaze at the computer screen and at the tablet in her lap.

"How'd you know it was me?" Barry asked. "Wait, let me guess. You have eyes in the back of your head now."

"Hardly." Averey snorted before using her feet to turn her chair around to face him. The glow of the light from the tablet bounced off the lenses of her glasses as she glanced down at the screen. Her cheek puffed out from the lollipop she was eating, the white stick poking out past her lips. "I could see your reflection on the screen." She lifted her head, pushing her glasses up her nose and squinted at him. "What's up?"

Barry let out a long sigh, trudging across the room before sitting down on the table to the computer station. It creaked under his weight, but held him up. "Joe and I have been suspended from working," he replied. Averey stopped what she was doing and looked up at him in alarm. "Because we were the last couple of people who saw Sherry Covington alive. We're suspended until we're questioned and Internal Affairs does an investigation. You and Cisco will be questioned, too." Averey winced, her upper lip curling. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I should be telling you that," Averey asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Your shoulders are practically being used as earrings, yeah?"

Barry dropped his shoulders, which were sitting pretty high up, muscles tense. "Oliver talked me off the ledge," he explained. "What are you doing?" He motioned towards her glasses. "Doesn't that light hurt your eyes?"

"Kind of," Averey replied, "but I have the brightness down as far as I can get it." She turned the tablet towards him and Barry watched as a shaky video of Mick Rory in the Central City Police Station played on screen. "I'm editing video of the metahumans and stuff I recorded to add to the database. Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin are working with Ronnie and Bette. I didn't want to get in the way so I'm doing this." Shaking her hair out of her face she added, "And I couldn't really understand what they were talking about apart from the idea of separating Ronnie and Professor Stein."

"Oh." Barry didn't know what else to say. He always enjoyed learning about the world around him and was excited to get the chance to work with the brightest minds of his time. Sometimes, he needed to remember that not everybody was intelligent in the same field of study that he was intelligent in. Averey was the only one there who didn't study science or anything under that umbrella. Joe and Iris had practically perfect their silent stares of confusion at this point.

Silence settled between the two of them; silence, Barry quickly recognized, that was somewhat comfortable, and not awkward. Yet, he still felt the need to break that silence. He had spent too many years sitting in a somewhat quiet house to really enjoy it. "So, how are you doing? How've you been sleeping?" He looked her over. "You don't look like death this time."

"Reckon I should take that as a compliment," Averey said with a laugh. "After that brotherly declaration of yours, I can sleep like a baby." She removed the lollipop from her mouth and pointed at him. "In fact, I just about swooned."

Barry made a face, his upper lip curling as he rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha."

"Seriously, Barry," Averey said with a smile of thanks, "I'm fine. But I appreciate you worrying."

"I'm your big brother, I'm supposed to worry," Barry said, exaggeratedly puffing out his chest, in pride. He then reached for the lollipop in her hand. "Hey, let me have a lick."

"Get away from me, Barry." Averey instantly leaned away from him as he tried to take the piece of candy from her.

"Come on!"

"Get your own!"

Barry let out a short laugh as the candy was successfully pulled away from him. Averey was practically falling out of her chair as she contorted her body away from him. "Cisco will actually hunt me down if he knew I took some of his candy without permission," he said as he leaned over Averey. "And he won't even need my speed to do it."

"Guess I should start running."

Barry snorted. "Yeah, right," he replied with a smile that was half a smirk and half amusement. "As if Cisco could ever be mad at you. I highly doubt that." Averey gave him an odd look. "The only other person I've ever seen him mad at is Hartley, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say it was because Hartley kicked his puppy."

"Well, I reckon he might once he realizes that I've been leaving him all of the Cherry ones and eating the rest," she replied with a devilish smile. Her smile faded when she caught sight of the pout Barry put on his face. He didn't use 'the pout' often, but whenever he did, it often got him what he wanted. And this was no exception. Rolling her eyes, Averey let out a huff and a "Fiiiiine", holding the candy out to him. Barry popped the Blueberry flavored candy into his mouth and pulled it off the stick with his teeth, chomping down on it. "Heyyyyyyy."

"Sorry," Barry apologized around his chewing as Averey stared forlornly at the white stick he handed to her. The rush of sugar instantly hit his jaw, tightening it as he chewed. "Come on. Let's go see how they're going to split Ronnie and Professor Stein."

"Hold on," Averey said, scrutinizing him as she got to her feet, tucking the tablet under her arm. "You've got a…" She waved her hand in front of her face, "look on your face. What's up?"

"You mean apart from being suspended from working?" Barry asked, falling into step beside Averey as she led the way through STAR Labs. At her look of surprise, he nodded. "Just worried about dad. Did you see the news today?" As he explained what has been transpiring, Barry watched as shock, worry, shame, and sadness flitted across her face (almost like a slot machine) before landing on frustration. All emotions he had felt, but had the feeling they were for a different reason.

He was still having a hard time accepting that she was not only a patient at Belle Reve but had kept the information from him, Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin after she stared to remember everything. He barely had a grasp on what it meant to have the powers he did when the STAR Labs employees stepped forward and did their best to help him. He knew they would do the same for her. At the same time, he knew what it was like to have that fear of not knowing what was happening with your body or who it was you could trust with that kind of information. It was nice to know that someone else shared those feelings.

"On one hand, that gives me more time as the Flash, but on the other…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "How am I supposed to help dad if I can't get access to my files?" Not that there were a lot left after the Reverse-Flash stole a good portion of them from Joe.

"Who says you can't?" Averey asked.

"I'm sure Captain Singh will just be _thrilled_ to have me waltzing into the precinct to access my lab whenever I wanted," Barry replied with an excess amount of sarcasm.

"You're talking to the person who broke into STAR Labs," Averey replied, "_a__nd _flew halfway around the world under the guise that it was a 'post uni' trip just so I could find my dad. Without permission." Barry gave her a curious look and she put her hands up in the air, her elbow pressing tightly onto the tablet, keeping it in place. "I'm just saying, if you need a partner in crime, I know how to pick locks."

Barry let out a startled laugh. "Where'd you learn that?" he asked.

Averey made a face, almost like she had given away too much information. "Oh, just…around," she replied. "You know, I spent a lot of time at the library." She quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I'm going bowling with Eddie and Iris tonight if you want to come along. Just have fun, get your mind off things for a bit."

"I don't know," Barry said, hesitatingly. Just being around Eddie would remind him that he was suspended from work.

"Come on, brother," Averey pleaded. Barry twisted his mouth to the side. "If I don't witness anything fun to keep in my memory bank, I think I really will go mad." She gently hit him on the arm. "Besides, after what I heard, I thought you could use some cheering up. Or is Eddie and Iris going to be a problem?"

"No," Barry instantly replied. While he thought he put enough conviction into his answer, the cracking of his voice didn't back him up.

"You can invite someone if you want," Averey pressed, seeming to see right through him. Maybe she actually did. "We can just hang out as a group."

"Yeah, maybe," Barry replied absentmindedly. It was hard for him to imagine himself with anyone but Iris. All of a sudden, their 'moment' in his lab before he had gone back in time crashed into his thoughts, pushing everything else away. It had felt so natural, so right. But, he couldn't do anything about it. "Linda's still been calling me."

"I was actually thinking of Caitlin, but that's ok, too. Bring her along."

"What's up with Caitlin?"

"She just wants to make sure Ronnie is ok." Averey shrugged. "Can't really blame her, yeah? Figured I'd get her to take her mind off it for a while."

Barry made a humming sound in the back of his throat. "Why don't you ask Cisco?" he suggested. _Maybe that will earn me some points back with him._

"I did," Averey replied, "but he and Dr. Wells are working on splitting Ronnie and Professor Stein." She waved her hand in the air. "I'm going with him and Caitlin to Dante's birthday party anyway."

Barry smiled to himself before it disappeared as he caught sight of the TV mounted on the wall of the archway they were about to pass through. Black boxes with white text floated across a shaky news video of his dad being hauled out of his house in handcuffs all those years ago. He glanced over at Averey who had her gaze fixed on the floor as they walked, only lifted her head as soon as they passed the TV. Finally, he had someone who really understood in some capacity how he had been feeling for years.

"I wonder if this is how dad felt," Barry mused aloud as they continued down the dark hall. "With everyone convinced that he had done something wrong and he just wanted everyone to believe him." His cheeks puffed up as he let out a heavy sigh. "Like father, like son, huh?"

"Hey, I'm the only one that's actually been in trouble with the law, remember?" Averey reminded him.

"If you want all the spotlight, be my guest," Barry joked. He burst out into a loud laughter when she gave him the finger.

"I'm perfectly content getting in no one's way, not mucking anything up, and flying under the radar," she replied as they came up to a heavy door in the medical bay. "They're in here." Quickly typing in the code to the keypad sitting on the wall outside of the heavy door. "When do you want to visit him, anyway? Dad?"

"Oh." The door slid open with a click and a hiss and Barry stepped into the large medical room. "Anytime's fine. Now that I'm suspended I have more time to."

"All right, let me just take a gander at my schedule, and I'll give you a ring," Averey said as she stepped into the room. "Barry's here."

"Ah, Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells said, turning his wheelchair away from the device he and Cisco were hunched over, spinning the screwdriver in his hand around his fingers. "I wondered when we'd be greeted by your presence. It is unfortunate what they're saying in the news."

Barry felt his shoulders slump. "You saw it?" he asked.

"Indeed," Dr. Wells replied with a nod of his head. "I have been keeping an eye on the news to see what sort of explanation they would come up with, if at all, regarding the explosion in Metropolis that _put you all in danger_." Barry winced at his sudden shift of vocal tone from worry to anger in the older man. "And not just yourselves; everyone in the general vicinity of that nuclear explosion was at risk, too. You know what General Eiling is like; he's relentless, and will do anything to get the support of the nation on his side by any means necessary. If that means experimenting on you, you, you, you, or worst of all _you_." He started pointing at every metahuman in the room, keeping his gaze on Ronnie for two of his declarations, Bette, Averey, and then Barry. "He'll get to you anyway that he can. You played right into his hands."

"Dr. Wells, don't blame them, it's my fault," Caitlin protested, removing the rubber ends of the stethoscope from her ears. "I just had a feeling that Ronnie was there and that General Eiling had something to do with it. Ronnie knew everything that was created here and Professor Stein is intelligent enough to know how anything in the STAR Labs inventory would work. It was risky, I understand."

"But it worked," Cisco added with a sheepish smile. "We all wanted to help Caitlin, that's all."

"I understand that," Dr. Wells replied in a tight voice. His tight grip on the screwdriver in his hand relaxed and he started tapping it against his thigh. "I did, after all, promise the safe return of Ronnie and I will keep that promise. Once more, I will extend that safe return to Clarissa Stein. But it will not help anyone if there is no more Ronnie Raymond on the face of this Earth."

Barry swallowed thickly before pressing his lips tightly together. He exchanged wide-eyed side glances with Cisco feeling like he had just been yelled at by a teacher. All they needed was a room full of classmates smirking and "Oooooh-ing." That barely ever happened even when he _was _in school, so it caught him off guard.

"So," Barry said, shifting his attention to Bette who was sitting on one of the beds, wearing a STAR Labs sweatshirt. "How are you feeling?"

"As good as I can be, I suppose," she replied with a fleeting smile as he stood beside her. "Thank you. I don't remember everything that happened, but I know if General Eiling was involved, it wasn't good."

"Don't worry about it," Barry said. "You're safe now, that's all that matters."

"Am I?" Bette asked. She lifted her hands, spreading her glove covered fingers. "That explosion wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me. With this stupid ability." Her hair framed her face as she bowed her head. "I really wanted to hurt him."

"But you didn't," Barry reminded her.

"I would have," Bette insisted. Lifting her head, she pulled her hair back out of her face. "When I joined the army, I did it for a lot of different reasons. Stability, it allowed me to continue my education and study a field I was interested in, and I was working to keep my friends and family safe. I wanted to protect my country from the bad guys 'over there'." She used air quotes before nodding her head to the side. "Only the _real _bad guys were my leader, Eiling; it was the surgeon I trusted to help keep me alive." Angling her head to the side, she looked over at Dr. Wells who went back to work leaning over a piece of metal propped up on a holding device. "Maybe even him."

"Dr. Wells just wants to help," Barry instantly explained. "He's a scientist, he wants to understand how the dark matter changed who we are. That's all."

"General Eiling said the same thing," Bette replied with a click of her tongue. "Only he wanted to know how to use our abilities to experiment on, and give our abilities to, the other willing soldiers he calls test subjects." She twisted her mouth to the side. "If it means not having to worry about turning everyone and everything into a bomb, maybe I'll just give them up." At Barry's silence, she set a look of curiosity on her face.

"Have you ever wanted to give it up?" she asked. "Your speed?"

Barry motioned for a spot to sit down and Bette pulled her legs back to give him space. "At first, maybe," he said, lowering himself down onto the soft mattress. "I had just come out of a nine month coma, my dad was still in jail, and I was running into the back of laundry trucks with speed I didn't know I had. I wanted everything to go back to normal." Barry shrugged his shoulders. "Only thing was, my normal had changed the night my mom died."

"And mine changed the second that bomb exploded in my face," Bette replied, running her fingers through her hair.

"I'd hate to interrupt this touching moment," Ronnie said in a tone of annoyance as he pulled a shirt on over his head, pulling the hem down to cover the purple, blue, and black splotch on his stomach "but I believe it's your time to be poked and prodded like a lab rat, miss."

"Until your temperature stabilizes and we know for sure there are no lingering effects of the nuclear explosion inside you, you'll want to stay close by," Caitlin commented, her voice tight as she rolled up Bette's sweatshirt sleeve. She pressed the stethoscope end to the inside of Bette's elbow, listening to her pulse for a moment before jotting it down on the charts next to her.

"The man can manipulate fire, surely his temperature wouldn't be normal," Averey pointed out, recording Caitlin's data into the tablet in her hands.

"To make sure we can split them apart, we need to keep an eye on everything," she replied.

"That's my Cait," Ronnie said with a half smile, "always needing to know every last detail." Caitlin's lips twitched upwards, briefly gazing at Ronnie before continuing her work. "I made you uncomfortable. I apologize. _He _just wanted you to know—"

"Don't," Caitlin said, interrupting him. Ronnie's eyebrows lifted but he merely nodded.

"The heat could be an indicator of another nuclear reaction," Cisco explained, using a hand to brush his hair back behind his ears. "When nuclear cells, such as those in Firestorm, die they release heat, which creates radiation that effects all the other cells in his body. The excess heat from Plastique was what caused the initial reaction, because all the cells were dying rapidly, releasing an excess amount of heat all at one time."

"Oh," Averey said.

"Basically, Averey, the second Plastique touched Firestorm and started the reaction, he—_they_ became a ticking time bomb because the heat was causing a reaction as if the nuclear cells were dying," Barry said, spotting the look of confusion on his sister's face. She nodded mouthing "ohhhhh", her fingers tapping away at the device in her hands.

"Oh yes, a concept so pedestrian," Ronnie commented, "I await what you come up with to separate us." He lifted his eyebrows. "Perhaps I could help?"

"Uhhh…" Cisco seemed to be as stunned as everyone else, only he was the only one to make noise. Silence surrounded them as Ronnie searched for an answer from each person in the room. "Sure?"

"Of course, with a mind like yours we'll have you and Ronnie separated in no time," Dr. Wells replied with a tight smile. "I have always wanted to pick your brain on such topics."

"Yes, yes," Ronnie replied, "after all, I would not have been at STAR Labs the night of the accident if you hadn't expressed interest in the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project." Rolling up the sleeves to his own STAR Labs sweatshirt, he clapped his hands together. "So. Where do we start?"

"You can assist Cisco for now, I need a break, and I would like to speak with Mr. Allen for a moment," Dr. Wells said, setting his screwdriver down onto the table. He motioned for Barry to follow him as he headed out of the room. "If you have the time, Barry, we need to check you for any residual side-effects from the explosion. We don't know if it, combined with the dark matter in your system that gave you your speed to begin with, has changed your chemical makeup even further."

"I understand," Barry replied with a nod of his head.

"I must ask, did you _really _think things were going to go well if you didn't stick to what had already occurred?" Dr. Wells asked, turning around to face Barry so quickly, the young adult nearly felt into the scientist's lap. Tightly gripping his elbows, Dr. Wells helped Barry to a standing position. His fingers gripped his skin tighter as he shook Barry. "Do you understand what you have done? I told you that you had to do everything _exactly _as it had happened."

"And watch a tidal wave threaten Central City all over again?" Barry asked with a scoff. "Wouldn't that create some kind of time paradox, anyway? I would just keep going back in time—"

"I already told you, I do not want to know _anything _that you have previously experienced. Given the unknown ramifications of your actions, I think we would have been better off," Dr. Wells replied, his harsh gaze boring into Barry's. "You do not know what you could have done. Maybe everything is going well today, but tomorrow is another story."

"_But I was helping people_," Barry insisted, his voice bouncing off the walls of the hallway. He started counting off on his fingers. "I saved everyone in Central City by stopping Mardon before he could put the city under water, I got Ronnie and Bette back, and this change even stopped the Reverse-Flash from murdering Cisco!"

Dr. Wells removed his hands from Barry's arms, settling them in his lap, his face stoic. Taking in a breath of air, he said quietly, "Barry, it is _imperative_ that you do not repeat anything else about what you have previously encountered." He lifted his hand, curling his fingers into a fist, his thumb running over his knuckles. "Do you understand me? Or else something worse could happen. We still have not fully come to understand your speed and how to make you faster. That is our priority at this moment. We have to make you _faster. _Once we figure out the key to your speed, then we can figure out how that equates to how the wormhole was created to send you back in time."

"Dr. Wells—"

"Say the next time this suddenly occurs and you go farther back in time then before," Dr. Wells said, interrupting him. "What could happen then?"

"I could save my mom," Barry blurted out, "I can make sure that what happens to her _never _happens."

"At the expense of whom?" Dr. Wells asked and Barry fell silent. "You've already seen what happens when you mess with the timeline. If we don't figure this out, if we don't get more speed from you, we can't ensure that this city, that _any of us_ are safe."

Without another word, Dr. Wells turned his chair around to leave. As he watched his mentor disappear around the corner, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Barry's stomach. Joe had always insisted that there was something up with Dr. Wells, but Barry didn't want to believe it. However, he couldn't ignore the facts; Dr. Wells knew everything, if not most things, about the metahumans. Dr. Wells was the only one who understood his speed and was almost desperate to make him faster. Dr. Wells was the only one who knew instantly what could happen if he didn't play out the day he had previously lived. Dr. Wells was the only other person who knew he wasn't in Central City the night of Sherry's murder.

Reaching into his pants pocket, Barry removed the evidence bag holding the threatening note found on Sherry Covington. _ARE YOU SURE YOUR CITY IS SAFE? _The plastic bag crinkled as his grip tightened, his fingernails digging into his palms, his hands starting to shake. Sherry was left on the steps of the police station on purpose. This note wasn't written for the police, but for the Flash to see.

Most importantly, Dr. Wells was the only other person who knew that he was the Flash.

* * *

**A/N: **A chapter all about Barry. It was originally going to be split between difference scenes but ended up with this one. Yeah, it's a bit of a filler chapter, but this is the springboard as we head through the final arc(s) of the story. Thanks for reading.

_Babyj: _At the start, you saw Averey's personality more as she was more confident in herself and what she was doing in terms of trying to find out what was going on around her. As she has learned that everything she thought was set in stone is, in fact, very different, she's lost that confidence and, in a way, herself. So, she's sat back and let people take the lead; namely Barry. However, her compassion and wanting to understand others and why they act the way they do is still there for people to see. I do agree that it is a child-like way to go about it.


	35. Remain Calm

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

**"Remain Calm"**

* * *

The electric blue, fluorescent bowling ball hit the lane with a loud _thump _before sliding across the slick surface. It rolled over twice before clipping the farthest left bowling pin, taking it down the chute with the ball. Eddie led a round of mock applause and Iris quickly joined in. Gritting her teeth, Averey, who Eddie quickly deduced was a terrible bowler, spun on her heels (he quickly wiped the smile of amusement off his face), practically stomping back to her seat.

"Ok," she said, "I officially hate bowling."

"You're the one that suggested we come," Eddie reminded her, getting to his feet to retrieve his green swirled bowling ball to take his turn

After a long day trying to collect evidence, statements, and playing phone tag with other officers on his team, time spent at the bowling alley was a welcome change of pace. This planned outing was enough to clear his mind of any dark spaces his work could lead him to. It wasn't the first body he had come across over the duration of his career. It was par for the course as a detective. Stakeouts, busting drug dealers, and tracking down criminals and key witnesses for a case was a cake walk. But working with the dead was emotionally harder to deal with and if he stopped to think about it too much…

He jumped when a bowler a few lanes down took their turn, the sound of the ball colliding with the slick wood sounding eerily similar to a gunshot. _Relax, Eddie. Just focus on the pins. You're in Central City. You're not in Keystone._

Shaking his head, he slid his fingers into the holes on the ball and tucked it into the crook of his arm. "You can't blame anyone but yourself," he added, pushing a smirk to his face as he glanced up at the scoreboard. There was no competition; Iris was putting up a good fight, but neither of the two women was going to beat him.

"_You can't blame anyone but yourself_," Averey repeated from behind him. She dropped the pitch of her voice and tried her best American accent as she mocked him. "Piss off." Iris's loud laughter quickly followed.

"I don't sound like that," Eddie said with a frown. His frown deepened as he spotted Iris's contradiction with repeated nods of her head. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do," Iris contradicted him, clapping her hands together. "Oh, that was good."

Eddie made a face at his girlfriend before stepping up to the bowling lane. Facing the bowling pins in front of him, he shook out his left arm and then his right, and then his left and right legs. _Just shake it off, Eddie. It was just a bowling ball._ Carefully securing the bowling ball to his chest, he said over his shoulder, "You're just mad because you're losing."

"Yeah, well…" Averey muttered. Eddie smiled to himself. He loved being right. "These balls aren't made for the size of my hands."

"Uhhhhahaha," Iris couldn't hold her laughter in, starting a new round.

Eddie, who was just about to commit to his forward swing, turned his startled laugh into a cough. It turned into a real one when his attempt to stop himself from throwing the ball forward, caused him to hurl the ball into his chest. "Ow," he wheezed, doubling over in pain. Rubbing at his chest, he turned to face Averey, tweaking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah, I saw what I said," Averey replied, making a face. She shook as if she was jolted by electricity. "_Heard. _I _heard_ what I said. Ignore me, I'm tired."

"Babe, are you ok?" Iris asked, her laughter turning to concern. She was halfway between standing and sitting, trying to figure out whether or not to go over to him.

Averey scrutinized him, her eyes narrowing further past the squints they had been in practically since they set foot in the building. "Not gasping for breath, doesn't look panicked," she recited as if she was reading from a textbook. "He'll be right. Wind didn't get knocked out of him, yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Eddie agreed, massaging the sore area of his chest with his hand. He turned to face the pins again, did another round of shaking out his nerves, and quickly rolled the ball forward.

"Yes!" Eddie did a little dance as he picked up his spare. "I am on fire today."

"Rub it in why don't you?" Iris asked, giving him a congratulatory kiss on the cheek as she passed him to take her turn.

Eddie let out a happy sigh as he swung his arms around his body. His bowling shoes sliding along the linoleum floor, he did a spin of triumph before dropping down onto the cushy couch-like seats. Reaching a hand towards his container of nachos, he grabbed a chip and dipped into the quickly cooling cheese before popping it into his mouth.

Glancing at the young woman sitting in the seat across from him, he licked the cheese from his fingers and asked, "What's the aluminum for?" when he noticed the square of aluminum foil in her hand. It used to hold all of their Cinnamon Sugar pretzels they scarfed down the second they were assigned to their lane.

"With the size of this room, pictures won't come out as well because the light from the flash will bounce off the walls after travelling so far," Averey explained, lowering the camera she was holding up with one hand. With her other hand, she waved the square of aluminum in the air. "Now it'll bounce off the aluminum and give it more contrast. It's not the best substitute in a room this big, but I can't afford any good reflector dishes, so I either borrow them, or make my own." She tossed him the foil. "See, look. Hold this up by the side of your head. Smile."

Eddie took the aluminum foil and did as he was told. He heard the shutter click twice (after the first bright flash of light he was momentarily blinded), and blinking rapidly, peered at the display on the back of Averey's camera to see the result. Toggling between the two pictures, he did see the difference between what shadows could be seen and those that disappeared when the lighting hit his face.

"Wow," he said, blinking in surprise. "I didn't know it made that much of a difference." He took a good look at her as she lifted her camera to her eye to take a picture of Iris as she knocked down seven pins. "That stomach flu really did a number on you, didn't it? You _do _look tired." He paused silently panicking when Averey gave him an odd look. He had made the mistake (only two times tops) of commenting how tired Iris looked when in actuality she just didn't put any makeup on for the day.

"Sorry?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Your manager Tracy mentioned you had the stomach flu a few days ago and couldn't work," Eddie replied. "Both you and Barry must've eaten something dodgy because he was out for a couple days, too."

"Oh! Right." Averey nodded her head. "The stomach flu. Yeah, it sucked."

"If you're not feeling up to this—"

"You're just trying to take out anybody standing in your way of victory," Averey interrupted him with a cocked eyebrow.

"That wouldn't matter, I'm going to win anyway," Eddie boasted, puffing out his chest. He then settled back into his seat and waited for Iris to take her other turn. "Anyway, I was asking because Captain Sing wanted to know when you could come in to be questioned. Cisco has to come in, too."

Averey stopped what she was doing and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are we talking about what we're not supposed to be talking about?" she asked.

Eddie let out a sigh. He was the one who had come up with the rule to not talk about work during their outing and here was, bringing it up. As if he could ever shut off his 'work brain'. Clocking in and out on long shifts was part of his job, but work never really ended as soon as the clock struck 5 O'clock. The Sherry Covington case was getting a lot of local attention and was becoming one of _those _cases; the cases that the people wanted answers every second of the day.

"Yes," he replied with a nod of his head.

"You really can't leave work alone for a minute can you?" Averey asked with an odd laugh. "I'll answer one question right now." She turned to face him and looked him in the eye. "No, I'm not in trouble."

Sooner or later, Eddie was sure he'd actually get the answer he was looking for. Either that, or he would stop being so doubtful, whichever came first. He could only put it off as being a detective for so long. Sure, his job made him question and double check everything that was presented to him, but sooner or later he had to make a final decision. Was he being presented the truth or being lied to? What would be the consequences of leaning in either direction? Was he comfortable putting risking his career on that one decision?

"Ok," Eddie replied with a nod of his head.

Averey's eyes narrowed just slightly as she looked him up and down. "You don't believe me," she said to him. He knew it was more of a statement than a question.

Just like the other times those words came out of her mouth, he would tuck it into the back of his mind, sit back and watch, and gather any evidence that could point to the contrary. If that didn't work, asking the same questions over and over again worked well as sooner or later the truth would come out, or they would stick with their version of it. That was the funny thing about people, criminals or not, if they were backed up into a corner enough, they could talk themselves into a hole they couldn't climb back out of.

Unfortunately for him, she was observant and could pick out the easiest way out of the conversation.

"Irisssss," Averey called in a mock whining tone, "Eddie is talking about wooorrrrrk."

"You're going to tattle on me?" Eddie asked with a laugh of disbelief. Averey gave an over the top smile before standing up to take her turn. "I can't believe you just tattled on me."

"Mmmm, good thing too," Iris said, brushing her hair out of her face before slapping Averey a high five as she passed her. "We all agreed we wouldn't bring up work and just have fun."

"I know."

If he didn't need to shake the thought of bodies and the fact that a killer was running around on the streets out of his mind, he wouldn't have worried about it. Iris had agreed to it pretty quickly after discussing her growing frustration with the fact that no one at Central City Picture News thought she could provide news pieces outside of the topic of the Flash. He could understand her frustration, when he first joined the police force he was constantly proving himself to be a viable asset to the men in blue. He still felt like he needed to.

As she settled into her seat beside him, Iris poked her index finger into his cheek. "You're going to be punished for that," she declared. Eddie relaxed into a grin of amusement. This was definitely better than spending a late night staring at Sherry Covington's case file.

"Oh, really?" Eddie asked with a challenging look. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"I will…" Iris gave an impish smile leaning closer to him. Her breath and long hair tickled his ear as she did so. "I will take your next turn and purposefully get gutter balls."

"Wait. What?" Eddie made a face as Iris started laughing before kissing him on the cheek. "Not funny." It really wasn't despite what the smile on his face indicated. "Sometimes I forget how competitive you can be."

He really didn't know how he could have forgotten. Game night was all but banned in their own apartment and it took a process to mentally prepare himself to go over to the West home to play board games with Joe. It was no wonder Iris was competitive when looking at where she got it from. Joe was not only a sore loser (in the off chance he did lose a game or anything), but he was also a sore winner.

"Just be glad Joe isn't here to whoop all of our butts," Barry said, announcing his presence as he stepped up to their group. Resting his arms on the back of the couch seat Averey had abandoned, he greeted Eddie and Iris with a smile and a nod. "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Barry," Eddie replied with a nod of his own. Iris on the other hand got up to greet him with a hug, kneeling on the cushions of the couch to reach him.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you," Averey said, turning away from the two pins she knocked down, "Barry was looking down about work so I invited him to join us."

"Yeah, and I, uh, actually invited Linda to come with me," Barry said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "She's adding our names to the list and getting something to eat." His lips pulled down in the corner just slightly. "That's not going to be a problem, is it?"

"No, no, it's fine," Iris replied. "Right, Eddie?"

"Sure." Eddie put a smile to his face. "The more the merrier. And the more people to beat."

"Puh-lease!" Iris said, exaggerating the syllables of the word. "Barry and I used to come here all the time with my dad, and I always kicked butt."

_I'm sure you did. _Eddie bit back his comment despite an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach.

He knew Iris and Barry were really close friends, and he knew that Iris was in love with him, but he couldn't help the doubtful thoughts that invaded his mind whenever he saw the two of them interacting with each other. Iris had chosen him, and even let Barry down gently when he finally confessed his feelings (that Eddie had suspected for some time) to her, but how could he compete with history?

Fortunately, he didn't have time to dwell on it as it was his turn to bowl. He located his bowling ball and took his position at the line and took his bowl.

"That's a gutter ball."

"Would you stop doing that?!" Eddie asked, turning to face Averey who positioned her camera in front of her mouth to hide her smile of laughter. It was the same reaction she had, occasionally accompanied with a shrug, every other time she accurately depicted whether or not a ball would roll into the gutter. "It's getting really scary."

"A bloody bat could tell whether or not that's going down the lane or in the trough," she replied, pointing towards the bowling lane. Eddie faced forward just in time to watch his green ball slide into the gutter before rolling out of sight. He quickly took his next turn, successfully knocking down seven pins.

"I was telling Linda on the way over that I heard the owner was thinking of selling this place," he heard Barry explain as he took his seat beside Iris. Averey, Barry, and Linda Park sat opposite of them, soda, nachos, and French fries sitting on the table. "I was thinking I could convince her to write a story on the place."

"And I was saying that bowling isn't really a sport," Linda shot back, leaning into Barry's side as she pressed her elbow into his ribs.

"Well, if you're going to consider it, you should see some of Averey's pictures of the place," Eddie offered, nodding towards Averey. "They're pretty good."

"Oh, you're a photographer?" Linda asked, leaning across Barry. Eddie noticed the hand she put on the CSI investigator's knee. She held her other hand out towards Averey. "Linda Park."

"Averey Moore. How ya going?" Averey shook Linda's hand and said, "Amateur photographer at best." She explained how he she had a blog and thought she'd take pictures of the bowling alley for a piece while she was there. "Not a lot of people come to bowling alleys anymore."

"That's what I was saying," Barry added. "I don't understand why. Iris and I always loved coming here as kids."

Linda blinked in surprise before quickly adopting a look "I didn't realize you two knew each other that long," she said, slowly nodding her head.

"Oh, yeah, Barry and I have been great friends forever," Iris explained. Iris quickly stopped herself and Barry shifted in his seat. "I wouldn't have ever passed my science classes if it wasn't for him."

Silence fell over the group between taking their turns at the game. As Eddie took his seat once again, Barry cleared his throat, Averey suddenly became very interested in the pictures on her camera's memory card, Iris made a clicking sound with her tongue, and Linda reached out a hand towards one of the two cartons of French fries sitting on the table.

Eddie watched in amusement as both Barry and Averey grabbed the containers and sat back in their seats, holding the French fries protectively to their chests saying at the same time, "Don't touch my fries," and "Hands off my chips."

"Oh…kay," Linda said, slowly pulling her hand back.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you about that," Iris said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "Barry has always been protective of his food. Especially his French fries."

"Yeah, because you always take it," Barry said, pointing a ketchup covered French fry in her direction. "Even though you insist you don't want any."

"Well excuuuse me." Iris tried to act offended, but the smile on her face gave her away. "You're just mad because I'm beating you. Like I always do." Barry made a face as he chewed on his fried food and Iris stuck her tongue out back at him.

"Yeah, well, Joe always beat the both of us, so…"

Eddie looked back and forth between the two childhood friends, crossing his arms over his chest, suddenly not in the mood to continue playing. Pressing his lips together for a brief moment, he looked over at Linda, who seemed just as uncomfortable.

"So, is this your first date?" he asked.

"Oh, well—" Barry glanced over at Linda who lifted her eyebrows. "Yes?"

"It took some convincing on my part," Linda said, clapping her hands together, "but a good journalist knows when to keep going after a story. And Barry is the most mysterious story that has crossed my path."

Averey gave a devilish smile and said, "Barry's perpetually late and a science nerd, what's so mysterious about that?"

"Ha, ha," Barry said as he stood up to take his turn.

Eddie quickly turned his loud bark of laughter into a coughing fit and reached for his cup of soda, taking a long sip to complete his charade. And maybe the burning of the carbonation in his throat would get rid of the jealousy, or was it annoyance, that was burning in his chest. Glancing up towards the TVs that hung over the lanes, he nearly choked on the beverage when he saw a picture of Henry Allen pop up. With the program on mute, the closed-captioned words started scrolled along the bottom of the screen.

"Oh no," Eddie muttered.

_…Henry Allen who has been serving a lengthy sentence in Iron Heights prison for the murder of his wife, Nora Allen, nearly fourteen years ago leaving his son behind. Many residents are growing increasingly worried about walking around their own streets and neighborhoods let alone the street that the Allen house stands. These Central City Police Department are working diligently to bring closure to this case and to bring security back to the people. Those that knew Covington well are saying that they do not have any idea who would wish to cause her harm... _

The sound of bowling pins being knocked down slowed and the chatter around them all but stopped. Eddie pulled at the collar of his shirt, suddenly feeling like it was constricting him. He needed air. There was too much body heat in the room. His fingers started twitching until he felt his whole hands, his whole body, shake.

"OI! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!"

"Averey." Eddie tried to calm himself down after the violent shake his body involuntarily did at the sudden sound of her yell. "Relax. Get down." Unsurprisingly to him, she didn't listen to him.

"YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU, DILLHOLE!"

"Ave, it's ok." Glancing upwards at the TV screen for a brief moment, Barry forced a half smile to his face. He wasn't fooling anybody; Eddie could see right through the brave face. Nevertheless, Barry calmly walked over to his sister and put a hand on her shoulder, pushing on it until she sat down. "Don't worry about it. I'm used to the staring."

"You shouldn't be!" Averey pulled her shoulder away from him. She held her hand up in Barry's face, her index finger and thumb close together. "They're one tick away from getting a bowling ball shoved up their bum," she growled. "Which would be one more ball then they have already."

"I guess I'll take my turn then," Linda said, jumping to her feet. She hesitated before gently grasping Barry's wrist. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Barry, if you want to go we can," Iris offered.

"It's no problem," Eddie added, "we understand."

"Guys, I'm fine," Barry insisted, reclaiming his seat. He crossed his arms over his chest, widening his eyes just slightly to try and prove his point. "Don't worry. I appreciate it, but don't worry."

Whether or not Barry was telling the truth, Eddie didn't want his friends to have to sit through anything else about their dad. And on the more selfish side, he couldn't stand seeing a news story about the case he was working on. Was it too much to ask to get away from work every once in a while? Stepping up to the counter where they rented shoes, he asked the woman behind the counter to change the channel.

The news report, after a brief blank screen, switched over to a live feed of Mayor Anthony Bellows standing behind a podium in downtown Central City. The woman took the TVs off mute and turned up the volume.

"…Smallville has been an explosion that has been felt through numerous cities. There is nothing to be alarmed of, and I am publically going on the record to state, that it was a militarily experiment overseen by General Wade Eiling, under my command. There have been no injuries, no fatalities, and I can honestly say that the lasting crater was not due to aliens or meteorites as many may think."

"This has been some cause of alarm given the abnormal explosion that occurred in Central City not too long ago," a person off screen spoke up.

"Let me assure everyone that the military are conducting very safe, and very routine, tests. They have been for a while now, these explosions have just brought it to your attention."

"What are these tests? We've had the particle accelerator accident, the explosion in Central City's river, and now this? Are we in danger?"

"Absolutely not," Mayor Bellows reassured, leaning into the microphones in front of him. "We have banded together in the year since the accident to prove that Central City will not be defeated. We have the Flash who protects us from those who wish to use their abilities to bully us. The military is developing ways to keep not only our city, but the nation safe, if anything were to happen elsewhere."

"Something's wrong," Averey commented.

"What do you mean?" Linda asked.

"I've seen press conferences before, the cameras are never zoomed out that far," Averey replied, tilting her head to the side as she stared at the TV. A frown appeared on her face. "His eyes…" Her eyes widened, shifting over towards Barry. "Oh no…"

"What does that—"

"Ssssh!" Eddie hissed. He could practically feel his ears perk up at the mention of the Royal Flush Gang coming from the TV.

"—robberies and thefts have become more frequent. What are you doing to protect us from them?"

"We are working tirelessly with the CCPD to make sure every person and every business in this city secure and can be rest assured that what happened to Mercury Labs will not happen to other businesses that help Central City thrive."

Mayor Bellows' words started coming out with more conviction. He pounded his fist on the podium to prove his point. Eddie couldn't blame him. On the very rare occasion he was interviewed at the scene of the crime (Captain Singh usually took that honor at the precinct), knowing everyone wanted to hear that things were going to be ok, he found himself talking with more bravado.

"We are diligently working to find out who are in this gang, where they could potentially strike next, and how to rid our city of this injustice. These metahumans and the Royal Flush Gang are misguided individuals looking for a quick step up in the world and we will not stop until they are all dealt with accordingly."

The questions and comments started coming faster, all the reporters talking over each other.

"There are rumors that what occurred at Mercury Labs was an inside job."

"Are there any attempts to discover if this, in fact, was true?

"How they could have let something like this occur?"

"The annual Mercury Labs symposium is coming up soon, should anyone in attendance be worried? Is it still going to be held?"

"What are likely the next targets? Do you have any idea?"

Eddie didn't hear Mayor Bellows' words as a loud explosion sounded, shaking the ground beneath his feet, and anything in the bowling alley that wasn't secured. "What the-?" A second explosion sounded and the patrons inside the building started screaming when the sound of shattering glass hit the air.

A roaring sound filled his ears as the lights of the bowling alley darkened until he could barely see five feet in front of him. The stale smell of the air, dust, and cigarettes invaded his nose until he found himself trying his hardest to get a deep breath of air. The explosions slid into the distance, coming more frequently, it's amplitude lowering so much, they started to change timbre; they sounded less like explosions and more like gun shots.

He was frozen. All of his police training drained from his body despite trying desperately to hold on to something. Anything.

The screams faded until one stuck out, desperately calling his name, and pleading for his help. Eddie swallowed thickly before taking a slow, shaky step forward, then another, and another. Who was calling for him? The voice sounded familiar…had he already forgotten what he sounded like?

His foot struck something soft, yet firm, and a gurgling, coughing sound, reached his ears. Eddie dropped to his knees, patting his hands over what felt like a belt, than a chest, arms with hands that gripped his wrists tightly. It's shaking fingers slid over his skin, and as his eyes adjusted to the dark, a moan of horror tumbled out of Eddie's mouth when he realized he was staring down at the wide-eyed panicked face of his former partner.

The smell of blood suddenly hit his nostrils and Eddie lunged forward, searching for the source of it. The warm blood gushed over his fingers as he found the hole in his neck. Eddie jumped back after his finger slid into the hole, instantly covered by warm blood. He had done that. He had caused harm to his partner.

"Eddie…help…me. Please."

"No, no, no." Eddie buried his face in his hands. This wasn't happening. Not again.

"Eddie."

That was a different voice. A girl's. Iris.

"Eddie!"

With a shuddering gasp, Eddie was back in the bowling alley. The sound of the explosions, screams of terror, and shattering glass all came rushing back, a cacophony drowning out the sound of his rapidly beating heart. Iris was shaking him. "_Eddie_!"

"Right." Eddie quickly snapped into police mode; people needed some sort of reassurance. Standing up on the table nearest him, he shouted, "Everyone listen up." But the screams continued, people kept shoving and trampling each other, trying to reach safety. A sharp whistle split through the air and everyone instantly stopped what they were doing, looking around for the source of the noise. Eddie turned around and watched as Linda lowered her fingers from her lips. "Thanks." Linda gave a nod of his head. "Ok, everyone listen up! My name is Eddie Thawne, I'm a police detective with the CCPD. Everything is going to be ok. I just need everyone to remain calm and get into any of the safe areas of the bowling alley; get into the bathrooms, any employee work rooms, and the back of the bowling alley. Let's go!"

Jumping down from the table, he turned towards Barry, Averey, Iris, and Linda. "I need you guys to get to safety," he said to them. "I'm going to go out and check what's going on."

"I'll go too," Barry offered.

Eddie put his hands to Barry's chest, stopping him from moving. "I don't want you to get in any more trouble then you already are in," he said, talking over the protest he could see threatening to burst out of Barry's mouth. "I know you're antsy to get back to work, but you've been suspended Barry. I can't in good conscious let you go out there. But, I get it." Barry snorted, shaking his head before locking his gaze on Eddie. "Trust me on this, ok? I need you to make sure that the girls are safe."

"Ok," Barry replied after a moment of silence. He placed his hand on the small of Linda's back with one hand, grabbing Averey's elbow with the other. "Let's go."

"Eddie, be careful," Iris warned, worry and uncertainty filling her tone.

"I'll be back soon, Iris, don't worry." He kissed her, hating the fact that he had to end it so quickly before he made his way out the damaged front doors and onto the streets of Central City. The glass crunched beneath his feet and the smell of smoke wafted up his nose. Covering his nose with his sleeve, he looked up and down the damaged street in time to see citizens cowering behind cars, newspaper vending machines, and alleyways. "Did anyone see anything?"

"That!" a woman shouted, pulling her terrified children closer to her chest with one hand, the other pointing towards the sky. "We saw someone up there. Before we could call the police everything started blowing up."

Eddie lifted his head peering into the night sky to try and see what was causing the explosions. Then something caught his eye: a wrapped gift with a parachute attached to it, slowly floated towards the ground, illuminated by the street lights lining the sidewalks. As soon as it made contact with the ground it exploded, shattering the glass of the windows of the building it landed by.

"Oof." A force collided with Eddie's side and he hit the concrete behind a parked car. Something covered his ears, pressing tightly against the sides of his head before the ground underneath him shook at another explosion. He felt it rock through his stomach and heat rushed over his body. Groaning, he rolled onto his back, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

"Are you ok, Detective?" a male voice asked. It was hard to make out, almost sounding robotic. Kind of like when he used to spend time as a kid talking into fans.

Eddie cracked open an eye, looking into the reflection of his own blue eyes as they reflected off of Visionary's eye piece. "You need another pair of eyes out here, Detective," she commented, sitting back on her heels, motioning towards a spot on the concrete. Eddie turned his head and spotted a ring of black soot encircling a perfect square. "You nearly got your head blown off."

Eddie groaned, attempting to sit up. His abdominals cramped in protest and he tried to steady his breathing. "Visionary." He waved a hand in the air. "Flash. I'm ok."

"I can see that," Visionary replied, offering a hand towards him. Her voice had the same effect on it like the Flash's, only her face wasn't distorted in a blur like his was. "Are you sure?"

"Thanks." Eddie grasped the Flash's hand, allowing the superhero to help lift him to his feet. His legs shook as he put all his weight on them, straightening to his full height. "Yeah, I'm all right."

"What happened here, Detective?" the Flash asked, surveying the scene.

"I was inside bowling with some friends when I started hearing explosions," Eddie explained, massaging circles into his stomach. "That lady over there said she saw someone on the roof before gifts, I guess, started dropping from the sky. I didn't see anyone before you guys showed up."

Visionary slowly turned her head left and right, the reflections of the buildings and lights appeared on the smoothed surface of her eyepiece. "I don't see anyone out here seriously injured," she reported. "Just looks like some scrapes, and abdominal pain, maybe hearing issues if they were closer to any blasts." Eddie let out a sigh as the pain in his stomach slowly started to subside. "You should get yourself checked out, Detective."

"I will once I make sure everything is secure," Eddie replied, reaching into his pocket for his cell phone. He may be off duty, but that didn't stop him from making sure everyone around him was safe. "This is Detective Eddie Thawne requesting any units in the area to be dispatched near the bowling alley on South Pike and Wayburn. Explosions have occurred and reports of a suspicious person on the roof." Sirens could be heard in the distance almost immediately after he hung up.

"Hey, Visionary," Flash said, turning towards the shorter Visionary. "If someone was up on the roof, maybe they left some clues behind. Can you get a bird's eye view?"

"Good idea." Biting down on his tongue, Eddie watched as the Flash took Visionary's hand before rushing off in a burst of light and air.

It wasn't that long ago he tried to set up a task force to stop the Flash. He wasn't that far from where he had been thrown around like a doll at the hands of the speedy man. The Flash certainly was helping out the police by keeping Central City safe, but there were times Eddie couldn't help but feel like he was putting them out of their jobs at times.

At this moment, he knew that the two heroes could cover the city faster than any unit of the Central City Police Department, but the feeling of inadequacy was still there. He had to be better, more on top of things, and that was harder with the Flash around despite how things seemed to feel easier with him around at the same time.

Soon, the street was blocked off by barricades and police cars. Ambulances with bright flashing lights lined the streets, the paramedics checking up on the people making their way out into the streets led by police officers. Eddie gave as much information as he could to the other working officers, trying to piece together what was going on as he waited for Iris, Barry, Averey, and Linda to join the growing crowd on the streets as the police swept the buildings for people.

"We've got something, Detective," Flash announced as soon as he and Visionary returned. "Visionary spotted it over on the roof of the federal building." He held out a two pronged contraption on a stick, and Eddie took it in his hand.

"A selfie stick?" he asked, looking it over. He shook his head back and forth. Kids these days; always with their cell phones capturing their day. He lifted his gaze up to the skyline. "Looks like whoever did this wanted everyone to know it." Sighing through his nose (partially thinking of all the paperwork he'd have to fill out), Eddie gave Flash and Visionary a half smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Detective." Flash and Visionary nodded in reply before the Flash rushed them away from the crime.

After turning the selfie stick in to the head officer on the scene, Eddie went in search for his friends. Iris spotted him first, enveloping him in a tight, yet shaky hug. "I'm so glad you're ok," she said, her face pressed into his chest.

"Of course I'm ok," Eddie reassured her. "Where's everyone else?"

"Linda's coming, she was looking for Barry," Iris replied, repeatedly tucking her hair back behind her ears. "He and Averey got separated from us in the crowd." She shook her head back and forth, looking over the damage. "Who could have done this?"

"Whoever it was, they'll be found. I'll make sure of it." No matter what, Eddie would make sure the people he cared about would never be put in danger again because of him.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want any help inside?"

Averey made her way towards the front steps of her home, rolling her eyes. She was only walking with a slight limp now and didn't need to propel herself forward with a swing of her arm anymore. The ability to heal faster was a blessing, but sometimes she wished she could heal as fast as the Flash.

"Oh, yeah," she replied, waving a hand in Barry's direction. "I'm cool as. I didn't even need you to run me home."

After debriefing at STAR Labs, and an extensive head to toe check from Caitlin for any injuries, they had disbanded for the night. Barry had insisted on running Averey back to her home, ignoring her repetitions of "It's ok", "Don't worry about it", and "I can manage."

Blowing out a breath of air, her cheeks puffed up, she glanced at the darkened windows of the house, expecting the curtains to draw back at any minute. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake away the uneasy feeling that was clutching at her spine. How ironic was it that she hated the feeling of being watched when she had the most enhanced vision out of all of them.

_Nothing a quick blinding light couldn't fix. _She started to plan out who would be the easiest to momentarily take out their eyesight first. _But how would I explain that? _The only thing the doctors at Belle Reve knew about her abilities was that she could see far away things as if they were sitting in front of her feet and that she had a great memory. Of course, there was the fact that she'd be knocked out cold with a bright light. She didn't need to give them any more reason to come after her further. _Gavin would most likely to be standing by the front door. _She needed to get rid of Barry_. _It was one thing to risk anyone knowing who she was living with, but having Barry there was dangerous.

"I wasn't going to put you on a bus by yourself like this," Barry protested.

"I've dealt with worse in a football match," Averey reassured him. She winced in pain as she did her best to stand up straight. Lifting her shirt over her hips, she ran a finger over the scraped and bruised skin where she landed and slid on the ground trying to move Eddie away from the blast. "Of course, during a match I'm not trying to dive tackle a bloody brick wall."

"Yeah, well, I'm not surprised," Barry replied, his eyebrows lifting, "Eddie boxes."

Upper lip curling, Averey could feel her ribs starting to ache all over again. "Of course he does," she said, matching his tone. "Did you have fun today? I mean, all things considered."

"Hmm?"

"Bowling? And don't just tell me what I want to hear. You know I'd be able to tell."

"Yeah, I mean, I needed it," Barry replied, crossing his arms over his chest. Lifting one hand, he ran his palm over his face. "At first I thought going back in time was pretty cool, I mean there was no tidal wave…Cisco's ok. The Reverse-Flash…"

Averey watched as a muscle started twitching in Barry's jaw, his eyes narrowing just slightly. "What?" she asked.

"It's…it's just so much at one time," Barry replied. "Being suspended, having to talk with the union rep, these bombs going off, not knowing where the Reverse-Flash is." His voice suddenly sounded hoarse as Barry's body seemed to fold in on itself in exhaustion. "I thought going back in time would have fixed things."

"Who's bright idea was that?" Averey asked, making a face.

Barry stared at her, blinking once. "_Yours_."

"No, it…" The dark street, street lamps, and Barry's form doubled, tripled, and then blurred as she shifted her eyes back and forth, up and down, and diagonally. Snapshots of her previous days appeared in front of her face before she stopped on one and it started playing in front of her.

She saw herself and Barry in his childhood bedroom talking, she watched herself tell Barry that he figured out how to go back in time to save his mom, and she watched the elated expression appear on Barry's face. Squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head, the image dissolved and when she opened her eyes she was standing on the street again.

"Damn it. You're right." Her eyebrows angled towards each other as her lips pulled downwards. She lifted her hand to cover her mouth. "I think I made a mistake." When was the last time she had openly admitted to that?

"Are we still on for visiting dad?" Barry asked, changing the subject. Averey couldn't have felt more gratitude for her brother in that moment. She still hadn't known Barry for too long, but in the time she did get to know him, she found him to be someone that didn't ever dwell on pointing fingers or sticking to who was at fault for anything.

"Yeah, no problems," Averey replied.

"Ok." Barry started walking backwards, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "I better get going. Joe is going to want to know what happened tonight." He lifted his hand in a wave before disappearing in a burst of light. The sudden gust of wind pulled at Averey's clothes and hair. She continued to gaze down the street for a few more moments until she knew for sure she couldn't see her brother anymore. Only then did she make her way inside to face her roommates.

"Hey," she called as she closed the door behind her, trying to sound as upbeat and chipper as she could. "I'm back." Hearing faint talking from the living room, she made a beeline to the sitting area, stopping dead in her tracks when she spotted Dr. Caselli sitting on the couch surrounded by Gavin, Brent, and Casey. "You." Her eyes burned and a second later, she found herself pressing his bony shoulders into the wall. "_Why are you here_?"

"Let him go," Gavin said over Dr. Caselli's panic-filled voice. "Case, get your girl."

Casey tried to pry Averey's fingers from where they dug into Dr. Caselli's shoulders. Averey relaxed her grip on the doctor long enough to swing her elbow back into Casey's jaw. With a loud curse, and a clicking sound, Casey stumbled backwards, hands enveloping her face. Brent easily pulled Averey away from the doctor, lifting her off the ground as she started kicking and thrashing in his arms.

"What the hell, Ave?!" Casey spat, repeatedly rotating her jaw.

"Put—me—down!" Averey swung her feet, trying to catch Brent in the kneecaps. "What is he doing here?"

"I just want to make sure you and Gavin are ok," Dr. Caselli replied. He held his shaking hands up in front of him. "We still don't fully understand your abilities and—"

"Shut up!" Averey shouted, kicking in his direction. "You don't care at all. You just want to exploit us."

"After what occurred in Smallville," Dr. Caselli explained, "we're working even harder to ensure that we can keep everyone safe."

"After that explosion in Smallville, we needed reassurance that everything was still going as planned," Gavin calmly replied from where he sat on the couch, hands clasped together in his lap. "Luckily, nothing has been compromised." He got to his feet, motioning for Brent to put her down. "Just in time for the Mercury Labs Symposium. Are you going?"

"Have to," Averey replied, keeping her gaze on Dr. Caselli as she was lowered to the floor. "Jitters is catering. I need the extra money working OT."

"Good." Gavin nodded his approval. "Because the Symposium is our next hit. Plenty of people there, we won't have anyone paying any attention to us."

"Especially not after Mayor Bellows' press conference tonight," Brent added.

"At the expense of Dr. McGee," Averey replied. Gavin shrugged. "You really don't care? She gave you a good job, a place to work, some place you can put your skills to good use. And you want to ruin all of her hard work?"

"You don't become successful without some bad press," Casey said.

Averey let out a laugh of disbelief, tilting her head back as she shifted her gaze to the ceiling. "What did she ever do to you?" she asked. "Except give you a livelihood?"

"Force us to lie about our projects and any scientific discoveries we have made, thus rendering our previous accomplishments completely useless and ruining our reputations," Gavin replied evenly, lifting his eyebrows. "Anything to get ahead in the world of science, right? Apart from that, nothing."

"You ruined your own reputation the second you leaked that information."

"General Eiling is at least helping us further our careers and allowing us to add credible discoveries to our names."

"General Eiling doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about any of us metahumans. He wants to exploit us. Why? To make himself look better? To be promoted? It doesn't matter, because General Eiling only thinks of himself."

"He wants to protect our country," Dr. Caselli said, clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his shirt. "There's no other nation out there that would be able to stand against us."

"I'm not even from this country, you banana!" Averey said, throwing her arms into the air. Her eyes narrowed into a glare, chest slowly lifting and falling as she silently regarded Gavin. "Just think of how much damage Eiling could do with your abilities, and you're just giving it to him."

"This isn't the first time General Eiling has tried this," Gavin said, getting to his feet. He stepped towards Averey, towering over her. Her legs itched to move her backwards, but she tilted her head back and continued to peer into his eyes, refusing to back down. There was too much at stake to just give in now. "In case you didn't know, General Eiling had numerous visits to your friend, Dr. Wells numerous times regarding this topic. And then the particle accelerator blew up and gave us all these abilities. So, who is it that's actually the bad guy, here?"

Averey pressed her lips tightly together. She had no answer to that.

Dr. Wells wasn't the person she had first met, and was intimidated by, when she first got to STAR Labs. He had promised to help her understand her abilities but even after all this time, at times, it felt like he was only reacting to things. Caitlin and Cisco were more hands on running tests and monitoring the changes in their bodies in regards to her and Barry's abilities.

At the same time, it was like Joe said, he understood a lot more about metahumans and Barry's powers than anyone else in the world. He even had been warned by Hartley Rathaway about the possibility of the particle accelerator being unstable in the first place.

"That's what I thought," Gavin sneered.

"Hey, guys," Casey said quietly, stepping between the two of her roommates. She pushed the two of them apart. "We're on the same side here."

"Are we?" Brent asked, looking back and forth between Gavin and Averey. He got silence in his answer.

"Of course we are," Casey insisted. Averey could feel her gaze on her. "_Right_?"

"I better get going," Dr. Caselli said, slowly stepping towards the door. "People are waiting for a check in from me."

"_Stay right there," _Gavin commanded, pointing a finger in the doctor's direction, never taking his eyes off of Averey. His eyes glittered with malice. "I hold rank over you, _Eight_." His upper lip curled in a snarl. "We all do. You better remember that. Or something might happen to—"

"No," Averey said, cutting him off. "You're not threatening my family, anymore. Or I'll start threatening yours." She jabbed her finger into his chest and Gavin slapped her hand away. "That's what we're supposed to be, yeah? Family? Isn't that right, _mate_?"

"Yeah, a family that steals each other's Bagel Bites even _when they called dibs_," Brent commented, talking over Casey's sudden apology.

Averey had to stop herself from laughing at the sudden interjection. Gavin looked like he was doing the same. Changing her laugh into a cough, Averey wanted to kick herself for wanting to immediately revert back to how things used to be. It was strange; one minute things would be tense, and the next she felt like hanging out and making fun of each other like they used to do.

Gavin slowly blinked. His shoulders lifted as he sucked in a breath of air through his nose before he released it in a cleansing breath. "All of this, walking free, your friends, your job, living easy, it would be all over the second one of us—the second _you—_open your mouth," he explained as if he was talking to a kid. ""You have a record, Averey. You'd be following in daddy's footsteps behind bars. How sweet of a family reunion would that be?"

Seconds later he was on the floor, clutching at his eye, as Averey shook out her hand, her knuckles bright red and throbbing with pain. He reacted quickly, leaping to his feet and slamming his shoulder into Averey's stomach. Grunting in pain, she doubled over, the force of the attack throwing her onto her back on the linoleum flooring.

"Hey. Hey! Knock it off. Come on, Gav."

"Leave it alone, Averey."

Brent and Casey struggled to pull their roommates apart before they successfully hauled them to two corners of the room.

"I know about the pictures," Averey spat, trying to pull herself from Casey's grip. "I saw them at the bowling alley. Everything is still on my camera." Gavin didn't answer, but continued to try and pull away from Brent's hug-like restraint. "Everything in here was stolen. During those nine months…you had me take pictures of things to knick to pawn for money for all of this."

Averey stilled, partially because her words suddenly hit her, and partially because of the throbbing pain that suddenly appeared in her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she could see the homes she had access to for her photography. She could see her posing the families in front of pottery, paintings, and pieces of electronics that sat in their living room. She was stuck.

"I'll do this," she said quietly, swallowing thickly, "until I pay you back and then I'm done. I'm not doing anything for you ever again. Even if I have to work thousands of hours OT at Jitters." Despite Casey's tight hold on her, Averey drew herself up to her full height—which wasn't that tall, but hopefully taller than either of them had ever seen her stand before. "That's it. No threats against my mates or my family or I talk."

Gavin sniffed, giving a stiff nod of his head. "Let her go, Case." Casey hesitated before releasing her grip on Averey. As she headed towards her room, he said after her, "We'll see how long your friends stick around once they find out about your second job. Or is it your third?"

Kicking her bedroom door shut behind her, Averey started pacing back and forth in her dark room, massaging her sore knuckles. Slowly flexing her fingers, she closed her eyes and slowly let a breath of air, trying to release her body of the tension that was tightening her shoulder muscles only to immediately tense back up.

Which phone was it? Where was it? Patting her pockets, she checked both of her phones before spotting the text icon (a message from Cisco to "just checking that you made it home ok"), the e-mail icon and Felicity's name in the notification bar. Opening the message, she read it out loud, "Hey, Averey, here's the list of names from Belle Reve you wanted. Sorry it took long, not that getting the information took long, but a lot's been happening here. Felicity."

Averey stared at the message reading it over and over again before opening the attached file. A list of names appeared on her screen and she started scrolling through it, her heart starting to beat faster, heat caught under her collar the further she got down the list. It was as if her body was trying to warn her of what she'd see and with good reason.

"Melanie Walker," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she read the name of her former Keystone roommate and friend. The last time she had seen her old Keystone friend was when she was insisting that the shoes she was about to wear out of the store were paid for moments before making a mad dash out of the store. The number ten sat next to her name, in the same position as the sporadic, K, Q, 4, 7, and 2. "Shit. Eddie was right."

* * *

**A/N: **I know you're all waiting for Dante's party and it's coming in the next chapter. I had it originally planned for this chapter, but after looking back at what I had done before my break in writing (due to a big lack of motivation as my schedule got busier), and starting up again, I decided to take it out and move some events/scenes around.

Thanks for reading.

Also, now that I've thought of a name for the series, this is the first story in the "Blindsided" series.


	36. Sorry About the Mess

**-Chapter Thirty-Six-**

**"Sorry About the Mess"**

* * *

"Hurry up!"

Averey tightly gripped the railing to the main stairs with one hand, securing the toothbrush that hung out of her mouth with the air when she felt a shove to her shoulder blades. "You know, I've got plenty of time to get ready, I'm not cutting it fine," she sarcastically, tucking her toothbrush into her cheek to make herself comprehensible.

A series of sharp knocks sounded from the front door as Averey delighted in the look of annoyance and huff of frustration from Brent. Neither Brent, Casey, nor Gavin cared about how long it took for her to get ready for the party. However, they were acting like the house was on fire just for someone being at the door. That's not to say her heartbeat didn't increase its speed when she heard the knocking for herself.

The police don't usually knock before forcing themselves into a home, she reasoned with herself. On the other hand, most Americans she knew were very polite. Even she had to roll her eyes at herself for that comment. As if she didn't know how the police acted when finally narrowing in on a suspect. The loud shouts bearing down around her, the feel of handcuffs snapped around her wrists, and the sight of flashing police lights would forever haunt her; sitting at the back of her mind, creeping into her nightmares. She knew sooner or later it would happen all over again, but would rather the inevitable bide it's time.

Nevertheless, she noticed her hand shaking as she reached for the doorknob as Brent hurried into the living room to duck out of sight.

_Crap._

Caitlin greeted her with a look of amusement and curiosity as she pulled the front door close to her body. With the toothpaste turned white foam coating her mouth, her toothbrush migrating back to its original position between her lips, and her hair was wrapped up in a towel, she knew she looked ridiculous. Despite that, her shoulders dropped, relaxing at the sight of the brunette.

"Gi," Averey greeted. Holding a hand under her mouth to not drop any of the toothpaste she could feel sliding down her chin. "Gut are you goin here?"

"I know we said we'd meet Cisco are STAR Labs," Caitlin said returning the hand she used to ring the knock on the front door back into her coat pocket, "but I thought I could give you a ride over."

"Uhhhh." Averey clamped her teeth down around the toothbrush and a mixture of saliva and toothpaste dropped to the wooden porch step with a _splat_. "'Old on." Stepping back into the house, a growl rumbled in her throat.

It was starting to become a game to see who would be the one to answer the door whenever someone (rarely) dropped by. The bruised knees and the stubbed toes were viewed as trophies for the more spectacular maneuvers to get out of being the one tasked to see who it was that paid them a visit.

"Nose goes," Brent had explained to Averey after barging into her bathroom—almost parent-like after a quick knock on the door—to tell her that someone was there. Despite her protesting ("I wasn't even in the room") she was drafted into answering the door. _Gee, _she thought sarcastically as she went to do as she was told, _it's almost like they have something to hide. _

The blueprints of Mercury Labs' buildings, clunky masks with their identification numbers on it, detailed plans, and mechanical parts shoved out of sight and into every corner of the house was a good indicator that they were hiding something. As the Mercury Labs Symposium grew closer day after day, the more things that not only needed to be drilled into their minds, but needed to be hidden.

Stepping up to the kitchen sink, Averey used her elbow to turn on the faucet. She tilted her head under the faucet and took in a mouthful of water, allowing it run down around the sides of her face, before she spat the mixture out into the sink. Drying her hands and mouth on the towel, she went back to the door, pushing it open with her foot. Lies and excuses swirled in her head, anything to get Caitlin away from the house, but none of them sounded like they could hold water. She was already there and they _were _going to the same place.

"Sorry. Sure. Cheers. Come in." She gave Caitlin a smile of greeting as she closed the door shut behind her friend. "I'm almost ready, shouldn't be more than a few ticks."

"Take your time," Caitlin replied.

"There's some water, or juice, or soda in the fridge, and something to eat if you're hungry," Averey rattled off, making her way back into the kitchen. Throwing the dish towel onto the edge of the sink, she turned back to her friend and said trying to allow the rest of the muscles in her body to relax, "I thought you were Barry. Thank god you're not."

"That doesn't sound good," Caitlin said with a smile of amusement. "Is everything ok between you two?"

"Apart from him starting to drive me up the bloody wall?" Averey asked, putting a hand to her hip, resting her other hand on the kitchen table. Glancing towards the living room where her roommates lounged, gazes fixed on the program on the TV. Tilting her head towards the stairs, Averey removed her hand from the table and lowered her voice. "I'm glad he's trying to be a brother, but I reckon he's really pushing it." Caitlin fell into step beside her as they climbed the stairs to the second level of the residence. "Making sure I get home ok, that I'm sleeping enough, that I'm fine after training or any metahuman appearance."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Caitlin replied.

"You're right, it doesn't _sound _bad. But, I'm so close to bloody cracking!" Averey let out a sigh, dropping her arms to her sides after she used her hands to grip her hair. She lowered her voice to imitate him. "'You're going home, do you want some company?', 'You have to close at Jitters? I'll wait', 'That bruise looks pretty bad. You want me to ask Caitlin to look at it?'" She then started talking in her normal vocal range. "Thanks for checking by the way."

"Of course." Caitlin gave a sheepish smile, twisting her fingers together. "But, I guess now's a bad time to tell you that Barry asked me to keep an eye on you, too? You know, after Belle Reve, to make sure everything was ok."

Averey let out a tired laugh, shaking her head. It made sense for her; Caitlin was basically their on-site doctor whenever they needed it. She was the one who would notice any psychological changes before anyone else. She hated being at Belle Reve that night. She could feel the malice, the dishonesty in the air the second she got near the building. Too many memories filled her mind, flickering like a highlight reel over her vision, but she was there to do a job and tried her best to keep the memories at bay while looking for Ronnie.

"Like I said, I'm glad he's trying, but Barry's just shifted his attention from lack of work, and worrying about speaking with Internal Affairs, to just about everything else," Averey replied. "I really put it on myself for blindsiding him with the fact that I am related to him, but I don't want to put any more pressure on him than he needs at the moment." In the grand scheme of things, if and things went south with the Royal Flush Gang, the more distance between them, the better.

"How did bowling night go?" Caitlin asked. "It sounded like fun, sorry I couldn't go."

"Well, it did take his mind off some things," Averey replied with a sigh. "And I think he had a good time with Linda, too."

"But?"

"But then there was a news piece on dad. And, I don't think it really clicked with me just how close Barry and Iris are until I saw them together."

Barry and Iris started out fine enough but as the night went on, they brought up more inside jokes and old stories that neither she, Eddie, or Linda could relate to, it felt more like they were on the outside looking in. A feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. If she was really being honest with herself, that night bowling showed her that she didn't like the creeping feeling of envy (or was it jealousy?) she had. Watching Iris and Barry interact with each other, she didn't like feeling like playing second fiddle to Iris or try and compete with Iris. All that and she still didn't really know Barry that well at all.

"Because they're both so busy lately, I haven't seen them together a lot. " Pushing open her bedroom door, Averey motioned for Caitlin to step inside before she shut the door behind her. "Sorry about the mess, I haven't had the time to clean."

"Oh, that's ok." Caitlin stepped aside as Averey moved a pile of clothes from her bed, dropping it onto the floor of her closet. "Don't worry about it." Still, Averey noticed the STAR Labs employee smooth out a section of her bedspread before sitting down.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd be the same way if I was with some of my mates that I grew up with," Averey continued their conversation, unwrapping the towel from her hair. Sliding her fingers in her hair she felt for any damp patches. "It's just times like that it makes me remember that sometimes I still feel like I don't fit in around here. Plus, I don't think Linda and Eddie were too happy about it, either." Turning on her heels, Averey carried her towel into the bathroom, throwing it over the top of the shower door to hang dry.

"You don't think you fit in?" Caitlin called after her.

"Mmm, sometimes," Averey replied, reaching for a stack of bracelets sitting beside her hair straightener. She quickly pulled them over her left wrist before plugging the appliance into the wall socket. Leaning back into her bedroom she said, "I'm not as intelligent as you, or Cisco, or Barry, or Dr. Wells and I'm not always the best company when out helping the Flash, eh?" Her sore leg muscles from where she slipped and slid on loose gravel and repeatedly fell on her behind the last metahuman she and Barry had gone against backed up her claims.

"Not to mention I'm still the Aussie that doesn't know how to speak 'American'." She used finger quotes around the word before she moved to pick up the hair straightener. "And, yes, I've had a few blokes tell me that a time or two. Plus, Eddie, Iris, Barry, and Linda kept going on and on about places around Central City, and I couldn't really join any of the conversations. Figured I was more of an observer anyway." Clamping the two heated pieces onto her hair a bit harder than she needed to, she carefully pulled it down to the ends. "No pun intended."

"I didn't feel like I fit into STAR Labs at first," Caitlin said, getting to her feet to take up Averey's place at the doorway. "Not a lot of people believed that I could hold my own with all of the guys. But, Dr. Wells came to me personally to invite me to fill the position."

"Yeah, only, the difference is I went to find Dr. Wells that day," Averey replied, adding a curl to the end of her hair. Tilting her head to the side she studied her reflection before deciding she was ok with the look. "Not the other way around."

"Which is something I would never do in my life," Caitlin said. "Not for a lack of trying. I filled out applications for STAR Labs, but I just couldn't get myself to send them out."

"Why not?" Averey asked, wrinkling her nose at Caitlin's reflection in the mirror.

"I didn't think I was good enough," Caitlin said with a shrug of her shoulders. "The courses I took at Howard University and my internships would make you think otherwise, but I still had my doubts about what I could do. But I knew I had to give it a shot; if not for me then for my dad." She was silent for a moment. "He died of MS."

Averey stared at Caitlin in the mirror. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"How would you?" Caitlin asked, lifting her eyebrows. "It's not something I talk about a lot." Averey watched as she lowered her head, her lips parting in a quiet chuckle. "We're not that different than you think, Ave. Cisco's pretty much estranged from his family, my dad's passed and I don't speak with my mom, you know how Barry's family is, and your dad is in prison, too."

_And Bette has been through what you always thought no one else would understand. _Not only her, but Firestorm, too. They, too, had been at Belle Reve and they were also drugged and tested on to get to the bottom of their abilities. Averey thought about the woman back at STAR Labs.

Bette Sans Souci often stayed by herself in the sleeping quarters assigned to her, only leaving when she needed to train, get tests done on her, or when she needed to pace along the hallways. She clearly trusted Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco to help them help her, but there was always a hesitation with her before complying with their requests. Not that she could blame her. But Averey was practically gung ho about helping out where she could.

"You broke into Star Labs without being detected," Caitlin was saying. Averey snapped back to attention. What else had she said? She quickly scrolled back through the last couple minutes while she was lost in thought. Caitlin's lips were moving…what was she saying? Blinking, she zeroed in on a short clip of memory. Ah, that was it: how she had changed. "…and you went to fight Bivolo by yourself despite Dr. Wells telling you not to."

_Yeah, and I stole from STAR Labs in the process._

"What happened to _that _Averey Moore?"

_She found out she had been helping the Royal Flush Gang against her will longer than she realized and they can destroy her life faster than she can blink_. Averey swallowed thickly. In all honesty, she had never changed. She just let her fear take over more and more, bit by bit.

"She became more cautious," she replied. Making a face at the acrid smell of burning hair, Averey removed the straightener from her hair, using her hand to wave away the white smoke that wafted towards the ceiling.

"I know what that's like," Caitlin agreed with a nod of her head. "When I first got to STAR Labs, I just wanted to sit down, do my work, and then go home without any reason to have anyone pay attention to me." Averey's eyes narrowed just slightly, her lips lifting upwards as she watched Caitlin say, "And then I met Ronnie."

"I could see that you were going to say that." Averey bowed her head for a moment before setting the flat iron aside to turn around and face Caitlin. "In case I haven't said it. I'm so—"

"You don't have to keep apologizing for Ronnie," Caitlin interrupted her.

Averey blinked. "I was going to say I'm sorry I haven't taken the time to get to know you better," she replied evenly.

"Well, looks like we have all night, right?" Caitlin asked, reaching for the flat iron. "Let me help before you burn off all your hair." She gave Averey a teasing smile. "Besides, there's a science to looking good and lucky for you, you have one right here."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with my t-shirts and jeans?" Averey asked. Sure, she hadn't strayed that far from a casual look and tossed in flannel here and there, but she didn't need to be that dressed up to work at Jitters, and it wasn't cold enough for her heavier clothes.

"I'm saying I've met Cisco's family at STAR Labs early on, that's all," Caitlin replied, carefully sliding the flat iron over the back section of Averey's hair. The warm strands of hair hit her back, warming her and causing her to shiver at the same time. "They're nice though, they'll like you."

"Oh, I'm great with parents," Averey replied. She used her hand to fold down her ear as Caitlin moved around to straighten and curl the hair on the side of her head. "Parents love me." She gave Caitlin a curious look. "But if Cisco's parents are so nice, why do they always give him a hard time with STAR Labs?"

"Why do parents do anything?" Caitlin asked with a small sigh she masked with a laugh. "Worry mostly. I don't think parents ever really stop worrying. Why?"

"He just really seemed to try hard to avoid going, yeah?" Averey replied as Caitlin clicked off the hair tool. "Not that I blame him from what I've heard. But free home cooked food has always been a good bribing point in my experience. Basically was the only way you could get anyone in uni to do anything. Concert on campus, project defense, panel events, if free pizza was offered, people showed up in droves." With how small her paycheck was (and the small "commission" the household got from each pawn shop sell) and most of it being used on her share of rent, the bills, and groceries, free food was still a selling point for her.

"He'd rather not go at all," Caitlin replied, using her fingers to make sure every piece of hair was in a good position, "but he's happy that we're going with him, so..." She gave a nod of approval. "Actually, I offered, he asked you."

"If he wanted me to go so bad he could've asked ages ago," Averey replied, reaching for the hangar holding up the red dress on the back of the door. She thought back to that night in Starling City when he had brought up the party to begin with, now that she remembered it, prompted from Barry.

"_I was wondering if you…wanted to…go to Dante's birthday party. With me. Us. With us. Caitlin. And me_."

In fact, if her memory served her correctly, and it did, that wasn't the first time she had heard Cisco Ramon, who was usually more put together, sound nervous and tumble over his words. She pulled an image of herself in the Allen home in front of her. Only this time things were different; Barry had just gone back in time, and was panicking over reliving the same day again. Only one thing was different:

"_So, I was wondering if you wanted to, maybe…_"

And then back at STAR Labs when she was starting to create the metahuman database for Dr. Wells. Cisco was with her and they were talking to Bivolo. She had zoned out at one point, but he was saying something.

"_After this, do you want to do something? I don't know…just hang out…or whatever. Anything's cool_. _I'm fine with whatever. Or whatever_."

But she hadn't heard him; she was so lost in her own thoughts. When she had snapped to, she had noticed Bivolo's pod was back and he was saying, "_He wasn't giving us any more information. You ready for the next one_?" getting back to business, albeit a bit more…down. At the time, she thought it was just because of the subject matter they were getting in responses from the metahumans in the pipeline. But now…

"This was supposed to be a date wasn't it?!" Caitlin blinked in surprise. Averey wasn't sure if it was due to the sudden shout in her face or having the red material of the dress whip her across the face due to how quickly she turned to face her friend. "Ohh, sorry."

"That's ok," Caitlin replied, brushing her hair out of her face. "And…yes, kind of. He's wanted to ask you out for a while. In fact, he asked Barry for permission first when you were in the hospital."

Staring at her, Averey narrowed her right eye. "I've done a pretty good job at not cursing in front of you, right?" she asked. Caitlin nodded. "Do you mind?" Her lips lifting in a small smile of amusement, Caitlin shrugged her shoulders, pulling her head back slightly in a 'Go ahead' kind of way and Averey proceeded to let out a string of curses. How could she not notice? She knew she could have tunnel vision on things, but that was seriously sitting right in front of her face and she never paid attention.

Caitlin took the dress from Averey's hands and looked it over as she waited for Averey to stop cursing. "Do you have anything in black?"

"I love that dress," Averey protested, a rush of frustration laced air billowing of her mouth. Plus, it was one of only three she had. She rarely ever dressed up unless she needed to. Some women had little black dresses, hers just happened to be red. "He actually asked Barry?" She clicked her tongue. "Not like he could ask my dad, I guess. Either of them." Still, the gesture earned a goofy smile from her, and a flush of her cheeks which she quickly tried to hide by going to look for a dress in said requested color.

Cisco was one of the first people she had met at STAR Labs and over time looked forward to seeing what kind of pop culture knowledge he had for every situation. As corny as they were his jokes always got a laugh from her and he brought a sense of lightheartedness to often tense situations at STAR Labs. She enjoyed being around him but she did her best not to show it too much.

It was hard to hold back an involuntary shiver that ran down her spine with every glancing touch from it. It felt like all the cells in her body were vibrating. It was hard to not give in to the smile that always fought to come to her face whenever they made eye contact. She tried hard not to stare (which she hoped she could successfully pass off as watching) whenever he was passionately defending a movie, or a TV show, or getting excited about things he originally deemed impossible before metahumans came to be.

But she needed to do it.

"Your phone is glowing," Caitlin said as Averey dug into the back of her closet, looking for the garment.

"Could you hand it to me, please?"

"Sure."

Averey felt a prod in her back and reached behind her for the phone, sweat suddenly rushing to her armpits when she realized she was holding her black phone in her hand and not her white one. "Shoot," she said quietly, opening the text message lit up on screen (_Get her out of the house! _followed by _Do like I say_!).

"Something wrong?"

"Just a work thing." Averey turned off the display on her phone and grabbed the dress she was looking for, holding it out to Caitlin before locating her second phone. "Jitters is catering for Mercury Labs' Symposium and we have a lot more inventory to count before we set up. I thought it was Roy; I've been waiting to hear back from him." At Caitlin's questioning glance, Averey added, "he turned me on to meditation while in Starling, just wanted his opinion on something."

Finding her original phone, she twisted her mouth to the side seeing nothing new before changing into the black dress. She twisted from side to side before spinning in a full circle. "Ok, how's this?" she asked. Caitlin opened her mouth and Averey put a finger in the air. "For the record, I still liked the red one better, but I'll give this one a go."

"Sorry, Ave, I just think red looks better on Barry," Caitlin said with a shrug of her shoulders. Averey gave her a sarcastic laugh in response. Of course he did. And by default, she looked better in black because of her suit. A bright smile crossed Caitlin's face and she gave a thumbs up. "You look great. I think it's perfect. Now let me do your makeup and you're good to go."

"Yes, ma'am." Averey carefully hopped up onto the free space on the sink counter. Crossing one leg over the other, she directed Caitlin to her makeup bag. After removing her coat since entering the residence, Caitlin got to work. Her eyes shifted left and right, up and down (much to Caitlin's annoyance) as eye shadow, mascara, and eyeliner was applied. Then she spotted a butterfly that was half a fiery red and half an icy blue on Caitlin's wrist and she exaggerated a gasp. "Caitlin Snow! I never pegged you as the tattoo type."

"Like I said, there's a lot you don't know about me," Caitlin evenly replied, carefully applying eyeliner to Averey's lower lid. "Now hold still or I'll poke out your eye." Her lips parted in a smile. "And I know how important those are to you."

"Tell me about it. When'd you get the ink?"

"Not too long ago, actually." Caitlin used the rounded end of the eye pencil to scratch at a spot on her hairline. "Ronnie and I went together. His came out really well; it looks like a puzzle piece was taken out of his foot and inside are gears and mechanical parts." She shrugged her shoulders. "I just cover it while I'm at work."

The two girls sat in silence as Caitlin finished applying the rest of her makeup. "By the way," she said, handing Averey a wad of toilet paper to blot at her lips, "I think you do fit in. Life's always about fitting in to the little groups we make with our friends." Snapping the cap to the eye pencil back on, she looked Averey in the eye. "Only difference is, Team Flash isn't just a group, it's a family and we want you to be part of it."

"Thanks." Averey then made a face before letting out a laugh. "But if things go well with Cisco and I, that'd be a bit like kissing cousins then, wouldn't it?"

"We're not _that_ far south," Caitlin replied with a smirk, lifting an eyebrow. "You really didn't notice? I mean, you never even thought about why Barry and I never showed up for Cisco Cinema?"

Averey shrugged her shoulders. "Thought you were too busy."

Caitlin patted her knee, laughing. "Let's go."

"I'll meet you at the car," Averey replied, hopping down to the tiled floor. Caitlin grabbed her coat before making her way out of the room. Shoulders slumping, Averey let out a long sigh before gathering her purse and her shoes before packing an extra bag of clothes.

Throwing the bag down the stairs, she gained her roommates attention. "I have my phone if you need me," she called, sitting on the bottom stairs to slide her feet into a pair of heels. "Bring that with you if you suddenly decide on a hit."

"As long as you make sure you actually answer your phone, we're golden," Gavin replied, meeting her at the stairs. "You couldn't have gotten her out the door fast enough?"

"Figured I'd let Caitlin stick around so you can try and figure out some of STAR Labs' secrets first hand," Averey replied. Shaking her hair out of her face, she gave her roommate a pointed look. "What'd you reckon?"

A muscle in Gavin's jaw twitched. His eyes narrowed just slightly, yet held a glimmer of amusement at her comment. "You look nice," he commented, all sense of suspicion and annoyance gone from his face. "Don't worry about tonight. Just go and have fun." Averey stared at him, waiting for an ominous add on like "It'll be the last bit of fun you get" but he said nothing else, instead offering a hint of a smile. He was back to the old Gavin, a nice reprieve if even for a moment.

"Cheers, Gav." Averey pulled the strap to her purse up her shoulder as she got to her feet. She gave him a wry smile. "Because you're being so nice I might steal you an extra piece of cake."

"Doesn't hurt to get your practice where you can," he commented, matching her smile.

"I want cake," Brent said with an excited smile as he and Casey came over to the foyer. Averey couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he grasped onto the handrail of the banister and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet as Casey peered out of the window by the front door. He was the second oldest in the house but was one of the most childish when not stressed out about his work at Mercury Labs or planning a hit. "Especially if it's chocolate. And if the frosting tastes good. Because some is too sweet, some has no flavor, and some is just gross."

"You don't want to keep your friend waiting," Casey commented, still staring out the window.

"When will you be back?" Gavin asked, moving to give Averey space to pass by him.

"Late. Don't wait up."

* * *

"Ok, we showed up, we stayed for 45 minutes like we agreed on, let's go."

Cisco pouted at the tight grip Caitlin put on his arm, pulling him back down to a seated position on the chair he just vacated. Maybe it was for the best; none of his extended family seemed to notice the two of them sitting at the back of the sitting area. He didn't know what was worse; Dante being the center of attention, or the risk of having his cheeks pinched so hard by his abuela and tía there was the possibility that he would lose feeling in them for the rest of the night.

"Not so fast," Caitlin said, giving him her narrow-eyed pointed look. "You haven't even wished Dante a 'Happy Birthday' yet."

"And if my plan goes well, I won't have to," Cisco replied with an over the top smile. "He already has plenty of people fawning all over him." He lifted his hand in the air and waved it around indicating his large family and the decorations.

Even Cisco had to admit, the decorations did look good, even if it seemed like a little too much. From what he could see as they drove up to the house, even the backyard was decorated for the occasion with string lights hung around the perimeter of the fence, and even hung from the tree branches back to the house. Now that the sun had set, all the lights cast a warm glow over the party goers.

"Just _try_ and have a good time," Caitlin said, loosening her grip on his arm. "This is the first time in a while we've been able to relax."

"First time in a while I can have some of mom's food," Cisco added, scratching at his jaw. "My empanadas are pretty good, but mom's are bomb." He flicked at the edge of one of the many paper plates that sat in front of him, previously filled with food. Angling his head towards the food table, he wondered if he'd look greedy if he went up again in a short amount of time for more food, or to stuff as much into napkins and sneak it into Caitlin's purse.

"See? That's something positive," Caitlin said with a smile. "And your mom was happy that you could make it."

"Yeah, I know," Cisco agreed with a small smile. As soon as he stepped through the front door of his home, his mom had rushed over to him and enveloped him in a tight hug. It was warm, loving, and secure just the hugs he received when he was a kid. He didn't know how much he needed it until he got one and even then, it was far too short.

Despite his reservations, a part of him was kind of glad he came to the party. There were family members he hadn't seen in a long time, and the music had him moving in his seat. When was the last time he attended a party at home? Birthdays and holidays, all of the decorations, the good food, and the good times were bright spots in his life.

"At least Averey's having a good time," he commented, turning in his seat to look over at the group of kids running after Averey, trying to take a soccer ball from her. With the limited mobility her dress gave her, she was easily outperforming the kids even at a pace slower than a jog. He set his gaze back on Caitlin. "That's for coming, Cait."

"Of course," Caitlin replied, taking his hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

And to think earlier he was about to call off the whole thing as he waited for Caitlin and Averey at STAR Labs. He could only keep himself busy for so long between streaming Netflix and upgrading the software on the computers.

"Cisco, we're ready to go," Caitlin had said behind him.

"If we're late, it's my fault," Averey had added. "But I reckon we're not late, are we? Caitlin said to be here around 4:30."

"Well, you know I like to be fashionably late," he joked as he closed out of the programs before logging out and shutting down the computer. "But don't worry, you're not—uhhhhhh." As he had turned around to face the two girls, he found himself suddenly unable to speak.

With how dry his mouth suddenly became, he didn't think he'd be able to form any words even if he _could _speak. Luckily, he still had some control over his body as he managed a smile (or maybe it was involuntary) at the two girls, more so in Averey's direction. She looked nice, maybe a little uncomfortable in her heels, but dang did they make her legs look good.

At the time, Cisco suddenly became annoyed that Caitlin was coming along. Then he grew even more annoyed for thinking that in the first place. But he was glad she was sitting beside him. Not so much with the mischievous smile on her face, but he was glad.

"There was no way I could possibly pass up the chance to see a little baby Cisco in pictures that will inevitably be passed around."

"I'm sure you'll get a kick out of all of the stories you'll hear, too," Cisco replied, deadpan.

"Come on," Caitlin pressed, "_everyone_ has embarrassing family stories."

"Not Dante," Cisco replied with a shake of his head. "God forbid the guy even leave the house with his shoelaces untied. He's _that_ perfect."

"That's how I knocked out my two front teeth when I was eight," Averey commented, slightly out of breath as she rejoined Cisco and Caitlin at the table. Moving her heels and purse to the empty seat to her left, she carefully sat down beside Caitlin. "Had already lost one of my bottom teeth, so I practically had a square hole in my face." Reaching for a napkin, she dabbed at her temples and hairline. "But, I got a _gnarly_ killing from the Tooth Fairy."

"It's nice to know there's some kid that never developed a fear of the Tooth Fairy."

_And there it is. Dig number one. _Cisco reached under the table for the wrapped box by his feet before he presented it to his brother, holding it out towards him. "Happy Birthday, Dante," he said, ignoring his brother's comment. "Here."

"Oh, thanks." Dante didn't seem to be interested in what was inside it as he immediately put the box down onto the table. Planting his hands on the table cloth, he smiled widely at Caitlin and Averey. "Cisco was afraid to lose a tooth for years."

"First of all, why would you want some stranger in your room at night?" Cisco asked defensively, feeling his cheeks heat up. "And second, you made me think I squished the Tooth Fairy in my sleep!" Seeing his friends try not to laugh out loud, he now felt hot under his collar. But he couldn't stop the embarrassing words from coming out of his mouth. "I didn't know if any of her fairy friends would come and attack me for payback."

"It was actually a cherry tomato he rolled onto in the middle of the night," Dante said with a shrug and a smirk. "The poor kid wouldn't stop crying." He lifted a hand and clasped Cisco on the shoulder. "You have to admit, mijo, it was pretty funny."

"Caitlin, Averey, this jokester is my brother Dante," Cisco said, ignoring Dante's comment, "Dante these are my friends Caitlin Snow and Averey Moore." Dante exchanged pleasantries with Caitlin and Averey, his smile widening just slightly as he shook Caitlin's hand. "Dante, I heard abuela ask you to play the piano for her. You better not wander too far." _But please leave. Now._

"What kind of host would I be if I didn't personally thank everyone for coming?" Dante asked. He winked at Cisco before speaking directly to him. "Just a tip. You never know when it'll benefit you, right? Of course, working at STAR Labs you know how important it is to make connections."

Cisco rolled his eyes. _Yeah, I'm sure you shake everybody's hand that has the misfortune of listening to you show off on the piano, right_?

"What connections you can still make, right?"

"STAR Labs is still going strong," Caitlin replied, the corners of her lips tightening just slightly. Cisco had seen that look too many times to know it wasn't good. No one ever insulted her work and got away with it. "_Especially_ with Cisco's help. We wouldn't get as far as we have without him."

"Of course Cisco has always had a great work ethic," Dante replied with a nod. "I can't deny that." He stopped leaning on the table, straightening his blue coat. "But I can't imagine how hard it must have been to find someone who would want to give your resume a second look after what happened."

"This coming from the guy who doesn't have anything to _add_ to his resume," Cisco shot back, feeling himself tense in his seat. "Unlike the rest of your classmates. That made names for themselves. Broadened their social circles outside of their moms."

"Cisco, Cisco, Cisco," Dante said with a good natured laugh, "there's nothing wrong with having a healthy relationship with your parents." Cisco clenched his teeth, knowing there was a dig on the tip of Dante's tongue and he was purposefully holding back to drive a point home. "You can't go wrong with that."

"And yet, last I checked, he was the only one here with two dates," Caitlin replied with a sweet smile.

Cisco faked a coughing fit to hide his laughter, using his other fist to bump Caitlin's under the table. Dante stared at Caitlin for a moment, a stunned smile on his face. Then he recovered. "That is true," he replied. He made a clicking sound with his tongue, taking Cisco's gift in his hands. "Gracias. Thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy yourselves."

Cisco watched in satisfaction as Dante moved over to the next table of family. "Ohhhh snap," he said, turning towards Caitlin, "that was dope!"

"I didn't know you had it in you, Cait," Averey said, looking impressed.

"You don't insult my work," Caitlin said with a shrug, seeming proud of herself. She leaned over to give Cisco a hug, which he gladly returned. "Or my friends."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"This has put me in a good mood," Cisco said, getting to his feet. "I feel like dancing." He held his hands out towards the two girls. "Come on."

"Oh, no," Caitlin said, her eyes widening. She shook her head back and forth. "This is not my kind of dancing. My style is more of—"

"The electric slide?" Cisco guessed.

"Sure." Caitlin agreed. Her head shakes changed to nods.

"Don't knock it, it's easy to memorize, less skill involved," Averey said, backing Caitlin up.

"Exactly."

"Ok, then." Cisco turned his attention to her. "Ave, come on."

"What?" Averey gasped. "No!"

"Come on, it'll be fun." Cisco grasped Averey's hand and gently gave it a tug. She gripped onto the table with her other hand when he started leading her towards the dance floor.

"Wait, wait, waitwaitwait," she protested. "I'm not coordinated enough, I'm like Caitlin, I'm more of a line dance girl—Caitlin!" Caitlin gave Averey a wide eyed look of innocence as she removed Averey's fingers from the table.

"Have fun," Caitlin chirped giving a finger wave as Cisco led Averey onto the dance floor.

"No, Cisco, really, I can't do this," Averey said as they stepped closer to the speakers playing loud and fast dance music. She watched as one of Cisco's aunts and uncles danced by her. "I don't have hips that move like that."

"It's really easy." Cisco started to move to the music, easily falling into the pulsating rhythm. "You just move your hips like this."

"Ok, reckon I should rephrase that; my hips can't move like that."

"Not with that attitude it can't. You'll be fine, just trust me." Cisco spun her in a circle, chuckling at the look of worry on her face. "Ok, first, put your hand in mine like this and your other hand will go on this shoulder." He set her right hand around his shoulder and onto his shoulder blade. "I'll put my hand here and—you really have to be closer than that." Despite his hand placed on the small of her back, they could practically fit an end table between them.

"This is fine," Averey replied. Her voice was slightly higher pitched than usual. "Better chance I don't tread on your toes, yeah?"

Cisco glanced down at his covered toes before looking over at her bare feet. Without her heels, she was back to her usual height, her head coming just up under his chin. A perfect fit. "Considering you're the one going barefoot," Cisco replied, guiding her through the dance steps. "I'm the one who has to be careful."

"Yeah," Averey agreed as he spun her again before taking one of his own, "but I'm the one who can be clumsy—whoa." Cisco stumbled as Averey suddenly pressed herself against his chest as he spun her out of the way of the flying arms and elbows of his cousins. "Uh, sorry."

"It's fine. See, you're getting the hang of it." They danced through the rest of the song without any more stumbles, and through the next song, before he tried to coax Caitlin out onto the dance floor despite her protests. "Come on, Cait. The only time I've seen you on your feet since we got here was when my mom brought out the cocadas."

"You know I love those," Caitlin said defensively.

"Aren't those…like…_bugs_?" Averey asked. Her face twisted into a look of disgust.

Cisco exchanged confused glances with Caitlin before it hit him. "Oh," he said with a startled laugh, "no. That's _cicadas_. Cocadas are almost like macaroons; they're coconut desserts."

"Aww, it's like eating a piece of heaven," Caitlin said, folding her hands over her chest. "I always told Ronnie that if our wedding reception was a potluck, I was going to ask your mom to make a bunch of them for us." As Averey laughed, Cisco felt himself lose his smile just slightly. Caitlin laughed along with Averey but he could see the pain in her eyes. "I'm going to pass on the dance, Cisco. I'm just not feeling up to it. In fact, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to head home."

"Yeah, no problem," Cisco replied with a smile of understanding. It wasn't like he was chomping at the bit to leave since he arrived. "Ave, I can drop you off at your place—"

"Oh, don't end the night on my account," Caitlin said, getting to her feet. She gathered her purse and shoes in her arms before handing Averey her discarded shoes. "Go have fun. Seriously. I'd feel bad if you cut the night short because of me."

"Ok, if you're sure." Caitlin gave a smile of thanks before giving Cisco a hug. "We'll walk you to your car at least." After finding Caitlin's coat from the pile in one of the bedrooms, they walked Caitlin to her car. "Let me know when you get home. Ok?"

"Sure thing."

Cisco lifted his hand in a wave as he watched Caitlin carefully ease her car out of the parking spot and disappear down the street. A moment of silence passed before he turned to speak to Averey and found her staring curiously at him.

"What?"

"You want to get out of here."

"That…didn't sound like a question."

"It wasn't." Cisco's chest swelled as he took in a deep breath of air, glancing over at his family home. The good was good, the music was good, and he actually was having a good time. But Dante wouldn't leave him alone for long, and he didn't want to have to face another confrontation with Averey right there. "Right. Let's go, then."

"Go where?"

"Uhh…" Averey chewed on her bottom lip, continuing to watch him. "I don't know. Anywhere. The promenade's not too far from here."

"Anything's better than hanging out here," Cisco replied, reaching into his pants pocket for his keys.

"Only I'm not asking you to hang out, Cisco, I'm asking you out on a date." Cisco blinked at her straightforwardness, and stood at an awkward angle, freezing in his task in retrieving his keys. Was she really? He slowly straightened, continuing to stare at her. Her face wasn't giving anything away. "I know it doesn't sound like it, but I am."

"Oh."

"Yeah, well…" Averey rocked back and forth on her heels, suddenly looking nervous. "I think you're cute, and would like to get to know you better. I like you."

"You like me."

Averey suddenly looked unsure of herself and a little worried. Cisco mentally kicked himself, feeling like an idiot and having the distinct feeling that she did, too. At least he could take some comfort in that.

"Am-am I saying the wrong thing?" she asked.

"No, you're not," Cisco insisted, shaking his head back and forth. His hair went flying around his face and as it settled, he didn't move to adjust it. At least he had something he could hide behind. "It's just…you never seemed interested before." Removing his fingers from their grip on his keys, he shoved his other hand into his pocket. "Not that I could blame you. I mean, why would you?"

"For real?" Averey made a face at his defeating words. Cisco held back a smile at the phrase he often heard uttered from Barry. "Cisco, I think you're great," she replied, "and I've been having good time tonight dancing, or talking, or whatever, and I find you attractive." Cisco's eyebrows lifted as he watched her face turn a bright shade of pink once she realized what she said. She added shyly, "Or something like that."

"Oh." That was the only word his mouth could form as his mind just suddenly went blank. He didn't know what to say: "Thank you," "I like you, too," and "Please keep talking so I don't' say something else stupid" were all vying to be the first thing that came out of his mouth. That is, if he was even able to get his brain to control his mouth long enough to even say it. "Well…thanks." He smirked. "Or something like that."

Averey twisted her mouth to the side in a half smile. "Ok, ok," she said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "Why is it so hard to believe that I like you?"

"Well, like I said, you never seemed to show interest," Cisco replied, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his neck. _And because Dante always rubbed it in my face that I was a no one. _Sure, he didn't exactly get the words out the way he wanted to every time he tried asking her out, and yeah, she didn't seem to realize what he was asking, but at least he tried. That was something to be proud of despite the flood of embarrassment he felt afterwards. Not that she seemed to notice.

Pulling one side of her mouth downwards in a cringe, Averey bit down on her lip. "Caitlin helped me realize…"

_Great, so she needed someone else to point it out to her. _Cisco let out a sigh through his nose.

"Not that I wouldn't have asked without her pointing it out to me," Averey quickly added, seeming to recognize his plight. "I wasn't doing it on purpose, but I apologize. "Once I set my mind to something, it's like I have blinders on." She put her hands up by the sides of her face to emphasize her point. "All the metahumans and figuring out my abilities. It's just been my focus that's all."

Cisco nodded his head and Averey took a small step towards him.

"But, I _am_ interested. Why do you think I flirted with you?"

"I—you what?" Cisco asked. That was news to him. Surely, it wasn't something he could have missed that easily.

"Mate, I told you that I thought you had nice eyes," Averey said with a small laugh of disbelief. "I basically admitted that I watch your lips when you talk." She threw her hands into the air. "I bloody told you I straight up I thought the American accent was sexy."

Ok, maybe it he _could _have missed it. He was aware of all those instances but eventually chalked it up to her being nice. Now, he _really _felt like an idiot.

"Which is why I'm asking you out." Averey blinked. "For a second time, since you haven't answered the first time I asked."

Cisco crossed his arms over his chest. How to turn this around? "Make it a third time and I might have an answer for you," he replied and gave a short smile to show that he was teasing. If he had to go through it three times, so did she. It was only fair. He laughed to himself as he watched her roll her eyes before asking him for a third time if he would go out with her. He pretended to think, an excuse from stopping himself for seeming overeager. "Ohh….I guess so."

"Hey." Averey pretended to be offended, but that quickly disappeared into a bright smile, one that Cisco was quick to match with one of his own. "So you mind handing over your car keys? Figured since I asked you out, I'd be the one to pick you up." She indicated towards the house with an over the top smile. "Oh, look! Here we are!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Cisco held his keys out to her before yanking it away. "You don't have the best track record with vehicles," he said to her and she gave him a confused look. "I saw all the scratches and dents on the Cisco Cycle."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Averey instantly replied. Cisco lifted his eyebrows and her smile gave her away. "You can't expect me to get to a place like Smallville, with all that space, and not take it off-roading at some point."

"So, what, you couldn't see a tree in front of your face?" he asked. "With _your_ eyes? Come on."

"I didn't hit a tree," Averey protested. She was quiet for a moment. "I _bent_ a tree." She wiggled her fingers, silently asking for the keys. "At least on the roads I can see all the bloody cars before they get anywhere near me. I have my American license, come on, Cisco."

"Ok, ok." He slapped the keys into her hand before taking the short walk (still hand in hand) to his car. "If we're going to do this," he said as he climbed into the car, slamming the door shut behind him, "then we have to do this right. You know, asking all the first date questions like 'What's your favorite color' and 'Where do you see yourself in five years'."

"Green," Averey replied, tossing her heels into the back of the car before getting situated in the front seat, "and financially stable with a dog." As Cisco laughed at her comment, she started the car, pulled away from the curb, and the two of them made their way through Central City.

Twenty minutes later, they were slowly making their way down the walkway between the water's edge and the line of shops. Despite initially feeling overdressed for area, he was more relaxed then he had been even in the days leading up to Dante's party.

Between examining the boats that passed, and stopping by store windows, their conversation easily flowed from one topic to another. Whenever there were pauses in conversation, the sound of Averey's heels on the walkway filled the air. Not that he could hear it over the sound of his beating heart. Should he try and hold her hand? Was now a good time? Now? Now? He wondered how he could hold a conversation when that thought was dominating his mind.

"So, why do you like history so much?" Cisco asked as the topic of conversation shifted from what they disliked (hers was obnoxious patterns, and thinking about what could be in the dark, and his was arrogant people, and raw tomatoes) to liked.

"I like learning how things came about, what events created other bigger events," Averey explained. "I like knowing what makes people act the way they do. How they get into certain head spaces, what drives them into certain decisions. It's always fascinated me." She lifted her hands to brush her hair out of her face before adjusting the strap of her purse on her shoulder. "Why do you like science?"

"Kind of the same thing, I guess," Cisco replied. "I like understanding how things work. I like trying to understand the world around us. What I do is more of applied sciences, though. I like using theories and pre-explored scientific knowledge to create things to make our lives easier."

"Like the suits you made for me and Barry?"

"Exactly." He stopped walking when Averey did. She lifted her foot, tipping to one side to remove her heel and Cisco grasped her elbow to help keep her standing. "Why do you wear heels if they hurt your feet?"

"I need the height," Averey replied, letting out a small sigh of relief as the soles of her feet pressed onto the ground. "That's better."

"You can use mine," Cisco offered, taking the heels from her hand before kicking off his own shoes. Averey slid her feet into his vacated shoes and started clomping down the walkway a few steps before they both started to laugh. "Well, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"And I'll remember it for the rest of my life," Averey replied with a warm smile as she removed her feet from his shoes. "Cheers."

"You're welcome." A moment of silence passed as they kept their eyes on each other. Then another and another.

"So, um…" Averey cleared her throat and she started walking again. "You know how you said earlier you didn't think I was interested in hanging out with you or—"

"Something like that?" Cisco teased. "Yeah."

"Like I said, it's not that I wasn't interested," Averey explained. He noticed she was keeping her gaze out over the water and not towards him. "I didn't want to show that I was. In some cases I didn't realize I was doing it, but on the other hand, I was really trying hard to not let it be obvious."

"Why not?" Cisco asked. He scrunched up his face when he heard his voice crack.

"Felicity told me that doing what we do, Barry and I, going out to take on every metahuman, that it's hard to hold a relationship at the same time." She finally turned to look at him. "I'm just worried that something could happen to you. You guys. At STAR Labs. And you."

"Nothing's going to happen."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you." He gave her a teasing smile. "Unless your abilities have mutated and you can now see into the future." Her eyes widened just slightly, a nervous look crossing her face for a split second before it disappeared.

"No, nothing like that," she reassured him. A thoughtful look came across Averey's face. "Reckon that'd be nice, though. I'd like to know what'll happen in my future so I wouldn't worry so much."

Cisco nodded in agreement. "If I had known ages ago I'd one day be working with Dr. Wells at STAR Labs, I wouldn't have gone so long feeling like a loser compared to Dante," he muttered. He made a face. _Great. Even while on a date he can still get to me._

"Cisco_, _you're not a loser," Averey said with a frown. "If anyone here's a loser it's me." Now it was his turn to frown. "My dad didn't want anything to do with me, I got arrested, and I work minimum wage at a coffee shop. If I was back in Oz I'd probably still be living at home not knowing what I want to do. You have your own apartment, work at STAR Labs, and make more than I'd ever see in a year. Not to knock you, it's something you should be proud of."

"Thanks. I am." He slowly reached out his free hand and slid his fingers over the back of her hand before slid across the palm of her hand, wedging between hers. Averey smiled, bowing her head to hide her pink cheeks as she curled her fingers, the pads resting on his knuckles. _Phew. See, that wasn't so bad._

"So, at the risk of embarrassing myself, for a second time, can I ask you a question?" Averey asked after a stretch of walking in silence. Cisco nodded as he lifted a scoop of ice cream to his mouth. "Why would your relatives have a bad reaction to my saying 'necesito té por la mamada'?"

His eyes widened at her words, a rush of heat climbing up his body. "Uhhhh…" He tried to stall. "Well…what were you _trying _to say?"

"I need tea in the morning."

"Oh." Cisco's voice came out slightly higher pitched. He cleared his throat to try and hold back the laughter that threatened to escape. "You actually said, um, roughly translated, to get a reaction like that…I need tea with my…um…blow job."

"Oh. Oh! Oh, no, no, no, no." Averey put her free hand to her cheek before sliding it upwards to cover her eyes. "I didn't mean that. Oh, I'm sorry."

"Ehh, some guys might like it." That comment earned a punch to his arm. "I didn't know you knew Spanish."

"I don't," Averey replied, sliding her fingers through her hair. "Clearly, I don't. I watched some videos so I could converse a little with your family." She lifted her hand and held his forefinger and thumb close together. "Emphasis on a little. Un poco."

A sense of admiration spread through his chest and Cisco couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. He also couldn't help the urge to just kiss her in that moment as well. No one had ever been that nice or gone out of their way to learn Spanish for his family before. "But, if you remember everything you see—"

"I was playing football with some of your older cousins and they asked how I knew you," Averey explained, looking like she wanted to do anything but relive the moment. "I said I knew you from Jitters and they started talking to each other in Spanish. I heard something, something, something, coffee, something, something and I just blurted it out." She sighed. "I can file that one away with the more embarrassing moments of my life. Have to say that folder is getting pretty full, yeah?"

"It's not so bad," Cisco reassured her. He gently squeezed her hand. "But, I appreciate you taking the time to try and learn Spanish for my family."

"No problems." A soft chime filled the air and Averey looked around for the source of it. The lights stretched along the water front, illuminating their path, cut across her face and Cisco watched her pupils expand as she took in a sight further down the walkway. "Didn't realize it was so late. Reckon I should get you back home before you turn into a pumpkin."

Cisco removed his hand from Averey's and retrieved his phone from his pocket and stared at the time. When did it get so late? It felt like barely any time had passed. "I could give you a ride back to your place," he suggested.

"Oh, uh, that's ok," Averey replied, applied a coat of Chap Stick to her lips before closing the applicator and dropped it back into her purse. "I don't mind taking the bus home. I don't want to put you out."

"I don't mind driving," Cisco insisted. "You picked me up for the date; it's only fair I drop you off."

"Well, if we're talking fairness, then that means I should plan on dropping you off after our next date."

_Huh_? The fact that she was already thinking far enough ahead for a second date caused his heart to start beating quickly. "You're already thinking about our next date?" he asked.

"Well this is going well, yeah?" Averey asked with a shrug, trying to downplay the smile that was on her face. "I didn't plan on walking this whole time; I was thinking we could go to the planetarium."

"I thought you hated science."

"I don't hate it; I just think it's boring." Her smile morphed into a sly one. "Something tells me it wouldn't be as boring with you there."

"Oh."

"You know, you've been saying that a lot today. Which is funny, because you're normally more talkative, yeah?"

"Well, yeah, I know. It's just, uh—"

"Cisco? I'm not complaining." Averey stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

His eyes fell shut; the smell of flowers was intoxicating. His hands slipped around her waist, gently gripping her, pulling her closer to him. The warmth of her body spread through him. He felt a sort of vibration feeling, no, a tingle, a sort of spark on his lips and he stepped back, his hand flying up to touch the spot.

"What was that?" Averey asked, looking a surprised as he felt.

"I—I don't know." To take her words, he wasn't complaining about it, but that wasn't the first time he had felt that kind of vibration before.

* * *

My apologies for the delay in updating. The holidays were nice and relaxing and I hope they were for you all as well. Since the last time I updated this, I put up new one shots: one called _MASH_ you'll find under the "Like Brother, Like Sister" story, one called _I'll Be There_, and one called _Movie Magic_.

_Kelly: _No problem at all. Glad you're still reading.

_babyj: _Averey feeling like a third (or in this case fifth) wheel is actually a character point that I partly described here but also explains some of her actions later on. I'm glad you picked up on it, however, I didn't mean for it to be confusing or take away from the bowling scene with it. Also, thanks for the ex-con correction. I have gone back and fixed that mistake.

_Ethan: _I have a feeling you'll be saying "welcome back" again with this chapter. And, yes, Eddie did show instances of PTSD and that will continue on through the rest of the story (and it was his partner).


	37. I Need This All to Go Away

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

**"I Need This All to Go Away"**

* * *

"Ow, man! Dat hurts."

Henry tilted his head back just slightly, squinting through the lenses of his glasses as he passed a combination of thread and dental floss through the skin of an inmate as he stitched them up. When he was approached with the job, he didn't ask how they got the materials to use. After his stabbing, he quickly resigned to not ask questions and to just do the work.

"Hold on, we're almost done," he replied in a low voice, glancing out of the corner of his eye to make sure no one was heading towards the inmates' cell. It was guarded by two others, but still he had to make sure. Shifting from his hunched position on the backless stool to straighten his spine, he heard a series of pops and felt some small relief as his muscles relaxed and gave him a bit more range of motion for the time being. "You're doing well. Just try not to move."

The wound was almost stitched up, but it would be going faster if the man, who referred to himself as "Major", would stop moving every time he would be stuck with a needle. Not that Henry blamed him. Without any anesthesia, there would at least be some discomfort. He was sure if he asked around Iron Heights, he could find someone with the connections to get him some from the infirmary, but that was too much of a risk.

As he carefully pulled a needle through the open flap of skin on Major's side, he knew he was running the risk of performing the procedure. Not only did he not have the necessary supplies to do the job to his best ability, but the fact that he even had the needle and thread on him to begin with was liable for many different violations of the rules. Luckily, Major had come to him with the items himself, and a couple packets of Ramen for payment, but if they were caught his otherwise good behavior probably wouldn't be able to save him.

"Alright, we're done," Henry said, ripping the excess thread after his last stitch. "Keep that as dry as you can." He sat got to his feet, giving Major enough space to sit up on his bed. "If there's any redness or swelling go to the infirmary. Otherwise, I've done all I can do. Ok?"

"Yeah, man," Major replied, gingerly pressing on his stitched up side with his fingers. Nodding in satisfaction he untied the sleeves of his jumper from around his waist and slid his arms into them before proceeding to button it. "Don' worry 'bout that. I just needed a quick fix. Speaking of." Major reached under his mattress before retrieving two packets of ramen that he threw at Henry before moving to hide the needle and wad of thread sitting on his bed. "You've earned it, Al."

"Thanks." Henry said, tucking the food packets into his jumper. Slowly stepping out of Major's cell, he looked left and right, scouting for a C.O. before making his way, as nonchalantly as he could, back to his own cell.

Standing in the doorway, he did a quick surveillance of his cell. His book still lay face down on his bed; bedding still intact, magazines still stacked on the windowsill, toothbrush and toothpaste in their place on his desk along with his other personal items. Everything looked ok. After hiding his ramen away, he retrieved his book and angled himself towards the window for what light he could use. Adjusted his glasses, he waited for his eye to adjust, for the words to come into focus, before he picked up where he left off.

"Al!"

Closing his eyes, Henry sighed, setting his book down onto his chest. Sooner or later, (in this case, later) he'd get used to the fact that he wouldn't be able to do any kind of activity without some interruption. Iron Heights was barely quiet and while he got used to the noise, at the same time, he hated it when it was absolutely silent. Things were being planned when it was silent. Henry kept his head on a swivel, when it was silent.

"Yes?" he called, setting down his book. The sound of jingling keys and footsteps neared him with each passing second before a C.O. appeared outside of his cell. "Quinn."

"You've got a visitor," Quinn said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. "Let's go."

"I'm not expecting anyone today," Henry replied, eyebrows angling towards each other in confusion. He set his thumb into the bottom of the book crease and closed it, marking his spot. Squinting at the uniformed man, he pushed his glasses further up his nose with his free hand. "Are you sure?"

"You don't ever question why the police want to talk to you, Allen," Quinn said, motioning for him to leave a second time. "I'll have you back in time for work. Come on!"

_Why didn't you say so? _ Of course he'd have time to talk to Joe. "I'm coming." Henry set his book aside and joined Quinn outside of his cell, holding his arms out in front of him. After his handcuffs were secured around his wrists and ankles, his cell was secured and he was guided by the elbow through the halls of Iron Heights until they reached the visitation room. Nodding through the usual spiel about visitation being a "privilege not a right", and how any "funny business results in automatic removal" as they were being "recorded for their own good," Henry held his arms out in front of him, waiting to be uncuffed. "I understand."

"Good," Quinn said as he straightened, looking Henry in the eye. "Go ahead. Station 2."

"Thank you." Henry reached for the door handle and pushed it open, shuffling towards the second pod. His eyebrows lifted in surprise as he lowered himself into the chair. Reaching for the phone, he placed it to his ear, watching as the blonde man in front of him did the same. "They told me the police was here—"

"You were expecting Joe," the man said. "I apologize. My name's Eddie. Eddie Thawne." Henry rested his elbows on the counter, staring at 'Eddie'. His name sounded familiar, but where had he heard it from? And why did he look so familiar on top of that? "I'm his partner."

Henry nodded his head. Feeling his defenses lift, he scrutinized the man in front of him. "So what brings you here? Why'd you want to talk to me?"

It had been so long since he first arrived at Iron Heights, but with his picture being pushed into the news recently, everything could be starting up again. Maybe the news stations were making their rounds, or people were standing outside Iron Heights shouting their belief that he should be put on death row like years before. It was times like these where it really hit him just how cut off from the world he was, and at the same time, with all of the TVs in the main room, he could still see his mugshot plastered on the screen, or hear his name coming out of the news anchor's mouth from time to time.

"I'm the lead on a couple of investigations at the moment," Eddie explained. "One involving what seems to be a copy-cat of James Jesse's old work. I've come to ask him some questions, but I didn't want to leave and somehow you heard that the CCPD were here and you could have missed your chance to see Barry."

Henry slowly nodded. "I see," he replied. "Well, thank you. He was supposed to visit recently but he never came. Is he ok?"

"He is." Eddie shifted in his seat, using a hand to smooth down his tie. "Well, Barry's just been dealing with a lot, lately."

Henry set the phone done for a moment, running his hand over his face sliding his fingers through his hair. For a moment, he gripped a handful of his hair, pulling on it until his scalp resisted. _He's working for CCPD so of course he heard about that woman's death_. He pressed the phone back to his ear.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Eddie gave him a confused look. "Barry would have had to have heard about it by now. He may show up late from time to time for his visits, but he always visited no matter what. So again I ask, what's wrong?"

Eddie didn't look like he was going to answer for a moment before he let out a sigh. "Barry was suspended from the CCPD," he admitted. "For the time being."

"What?" Henry asked. He leaned forward, closer to the man sitting in front of him. "How—I don't understand."

"He and Joe both have a meeting with Internal Affairs today because, it turns out, they were at Barry's old home—_your_ old home, sorry—hours before Sherry Covington's body was found," Eddie explained. "I know they didn't have anything to do with it, but Captain Singh would have taken them off of the case anyway because it's too close to them."

Henry slowly closed his eyes. Even behind bars he was still making Barry's life harder than it should be. "I'm sure everything will work out," he heard Eddie say. His voice sounded distant, almost like he was talking underwater. "He has Joe with him, and Averey."

Henry snapped to attention when he heard his daughter's name. Eddie's eyes widened slightly in response to Henry's narrowing. "You were at the hospital," he said, tilting his head to the side. "You were arriving when I was leaving. You know Averey." But what else? Why was his name familiar? "What did you say your name was again?"

"Eddie. Thawne."

_And he's Joe's partner._ "You're the police officer who helped Averey with her legal problems," he said.

"Well," Eddie stumbled over his words, nodding his head. "Yeah, but I mean, it was, kind of, my fault—"

"Thank you." Henry watched as Eddie's mouth snapped shut and confusion graced his features. You could have easily left her to do figure things out on her own, but you didn't."

"It wouldn't have been right," Eddie said, shaking his head back and forth. "I've grown up with my parents helping people as best they could. It wouldn't have been right if I didn't try to correct a mistake I made."

"I'm glad there's people like you and Joe to help Barry and Averey," Henry replied. _When you couldn't be there. _He cleared his throat, feeling a lump form. _And when you didn't want to be there for Averey. _He needed to change the subject before he broke down. He hadn't shown any emotion since his first week or so in prison; emotion was a sign of weakness and a sign that anyone could take advantage of you. "You said you were here to talk to James Jesse?"

"You know about him?" Eddie asked.

"Iron Heights feels a lot smaller than it looks," Henry replied before he moved the phone from one ear to the other. "People talk all the time. If you've lived in Central City for a while, you've heard of James Jesse at one point or another. He's the only person I know of who had a personal maximum security wing built for him a few years ago."

"Fancy," Eddie muttered as he reached into the breast pocket of his coat for a notepad and pen. He started to write quickly, holding the phone up to his ear with his shoulder. "So you were around when he had attacked Central City?"

"Yes, I remember that day," Henry replied, nodding his head. "Devastating. Absolutely devastating. It took a while for Central City to bounce back but she always does." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug before leaning forward to rest his elbows on the small, somewhat cramped, table in front of him. "She may seem like a cold city, and may turn its back on you to protect itself, but she always comes around eventually."

"Some other officers were saying that before the particle accelerator, he was considered the most dangerous individual before of his attacks on the city," Eddie explained.

"From what I understand, he treated the whole thing kind of like a joke," Henry replied. "Like, people were just expendable. It was a scary time until he was sentenced with life." He held back a laugh. _People probably said the same thing about me._ "Does this have to do with the explosions in downtown Central City the news keeps talking about?"

"The City Bomber, yes," Eddie replied with a nod of his head. "Our investigation has lead us to believe that this fits his M.O."

"Then I won't keep you any longer," Henry replied. "But could you tell Barry and Averey something for me?"

"Sure, anything," Eddie replied, flipping the top page of notes over for a clean sheet. "Go ahead."

"Just tell them to be careful," Henry replied. "Thanks."

"No problem. Thank you for speaking with me."

"What else do I have to do today?" he asked. Eddie paused, the tip of his pen poised over the notepad, before looking up at him. Henry chuckled to himself at the frozen look of uncertainty and fear on the man's face. Only when Henry gave a wry smile did Eddie relax.

"Good one," Eddie said, sighing in relief before moving to hang up the phone.

"Oh, one more thing," Henry said loudly, trying to catch the detective's attention. Eddie scrambled to bring the phone back to his ear, juggling it in his hands and even holding it upside down to his ear before he corrected it. "If you have some change on you, and you want James Jesse to talk, go to the vending machine and get some licuorice to sweeten him up."

"Liquorice?"

"Yes. Red, not black."

Eddie nodded as he quickly wrote down the note. "Got it. Thank you."

"Thank _you. _Take care." Henry hung up the phone before he got to his feet and returned through the door he had come in from. His arms lifted and he displayed his wrists for the corrections officer. "Ready to return to my cell, Quinn."

"Keep having the police around here," Quinn commented, tightening the cuffs around his wrists, "people might start looking at you sideways."

_As if they don't already_? Henry merely gave a nod of his head before shuffling a leg forward. Once he was contained, Quinn took him by the elbow. With a gentle tug, Henry got the cue to start moving and carefully slid his feet forward as far as the chain between his ankles could take him.

"I'm just saying," he continued in the wake of Henry's silence. "It'll look fishy. You don't want word to get out to anyone. You already had one incident here that put you in the infirmary for a few days." As they came upon his cell, Quinn regarded him with a grave expression. "I'm just looking out for you."

"I appreciate it."

As soon as his wrists and ankles were free, he climbed back onto his bed and tried to start reading again. He found his gaze drifting out the window, taking in what little view of the city he had. One of these days he was sure he'd catch sight of the infamous streak of lightning zipping through town. Until then, he'd watch proudly from afar and dream of the day he'd be able to see it in person outside the walls of Iron Heights.

* * *

Fighting the urge to check the time on his phone, Barry sighed heavily, his gaze shifting upwards towards the ceiling. _What is taking them so long?_ He knew when he moved quickly time seemed to slow down but this was ridiculous!

"You know, sooner or later, you're going to tire yourself out."

Spinning around to start his next pacing lap, he faced Cisco, Joe, and Averey who were sitting in the cushy chairs outside of the conference room, waiting to be asked in to be questioned. Joe had his hands in his lap, twiddling his thumbs, Averey sat straight in her seat, one leg crossed over the other, staring at her phone, and Cisco was slouched in his seat, spinning his tie in a circle.

"That's funny," Barry mused with a half smile as he started his next lap taking him closer to them. "If you keep doing that, you'll take off and hover above the ground." Barry had never felt tired since he got his abilities. Mentally and emotionally, sure, but physically, it was like every rotation of his legs funneled more energy back into him. After quick repeated surges of speed, he could be out of breath, but was so in shape that he could quickly recover. The specially created energy bars helped, too. "What time is it?"

"Five minutes past the last time you asked me," Joe replied in his smooth voice, never taking his eyes off the spot on the wall where they were transfixed.

"Which is ten ticks past the last time you asked, I reckon," Averey added.

"And you still haven't given me a straight answer," Barry pointed out. He dropped into the empty chair beside Cisco. Cisco stopped spinning his tie to look up at his friend. Barry took on a raspy voice and asked, "What have I ever done to make you treat me so disrespectfully?"

"Good one," Cisco replied, instantly picking up on his Godfather reference. "No, but seriously, Barry, quit asking. It's making time go even slower."

"Time is always slow when work doesn't take up half my day," Barry replied.

"No problems," Averey replied, waving her hand in the air, still staring at her phone. "These things take time. They'll talk to us when they're ready."

"I don't know how you're so calm about this," Barry replied before he ran his hands over his face.

"Because I've spent more time how you thought that tie was a good idea to wear."

"Wait, what?" he dropped his hands into his lap before looking down at his silver paisley tie. He looked over at Cisco for backup and he just shrugged his shoulders. "It's—it's that bad?

"It doesn't go with anything you're wearing!"

"I love this tie."

"I got him that tie," Joe added.

Averey opened and closed her mouth, peering over at the older man over the top of her phone. "Ohhh," He lifted his eyebrows at her. She cringed before seeming to curl in on herself in her chair. "You know, I've gotten really good at reading people's faces over the years and I have the feeling yours is telling me to stop talking." Joe smiled. Lifting her phone back over her face, Averey said in a squeaky voice, "I'll just be quiet. Ignore me."

Glancing at the closed, heavy doors, Barry let out his umpteenth sigh. The only time he had ever been on this particular floor of the precinct was during his initial tour of the building. From what he gathered, unless you were on a big case, you never wanted to be waiting on that floor. Sometimes, people never returned after a visit to the third floor.

Nudging Cisco in the side with his shoulder, he asked, "How did Dante's birthday go?"

"That party was, like, three days ago, dude," Cisco said, lifting an eyebrow. "Get with the times." He added a neck roll for effect. "It was fine." Barry smiled in laughter despite rolling his eyes. "I'm sorry this is happening, Barry. I can't imagine how hard it is for you."

"Yeah." Barry started tapping his fingers faster on his arm rests. "That's ok_. _Thanks, Cisco. I mean, I don't regret going there because it means I'm getting closer to finding out a way to save my mom. Somehow I get back there that night."

"Yeah, but you never would have joined the police department if it wasn't for what happened," Cisco reminded him. "It must be hard to not be working right now." Barry was silent. "I know how that feels; to have all your hard work just taken from you."

Barry closed his eyes and slowly let out a breath of air, feeling himself relaxing. _Of course he'd understand. _He nodded his head, sharing a moment of understanding between the two of them. "I know you do. Thanks." He shifted in his seat to face his friend. "And I'm sorry I didn't stop by the party. We haven't hung out in—"

"Try forever," Cisco pointed out to him, "not that I've been keeping track."

Barry cracked a smile. "Of course not," he replied. "We still need to finish our _Game of Thrones_ binge watch before the next season starts."

"You know it." Cisco lifted his fist and Barry bumped it with his own. "Seriously, you didn't miss much with Dante's party. It was the suck up party of the year like I anticipated."

"It couldn't have been that bad," Barry replied.

"Well, not all of it," Cisco admitted. "Mom's food was pretty bomb, as usual." He started to repeatedly clear his throat around his words. "But_—cough, cough—_there was—_achem_—something else." Barry pulled a face as Cisco slapped at his sternum with his hand, tilting his head to the side.

"Do you want some water?" Barry asked half sarcastically.

"Yes. Water. Good." Cisco practically leapt to his feet, making his way in the direction of the water cooler. Finding himself amused and curious, Barry pulled himself to his feet and followed Cisco around the corner.

"Gossip around the water cooler," Barry mused resting an arm on top of the water container. Cisco reached for the stack of paper cups attached to the side. "That went out of fashion the second the Keurig was invented." Cisco tilted his head back and quickly swallowed the water he just filled his cup with. "Or maybe it was as social media grew. So, what's up?"

"Averey and I, kind of, went on a date," Cisco replied, crushing the paper cup in his hand. Barry's eyebrows lifted. "After Dante's party." When he got no response, he lifted his free hand and waved it in Barry's face. "Bare? Say something."

He didn't know what to say. Or how to react. Part of him had a feeling that something happened between the two of them with how they acted around STAR Labs. Another side of him felt somewhat protective. Cisco had grown to be one of his best friends but at the same time, he had the urge to pummel him. Either way, he managed an encouraging head nod and a light, "Good! Good for you. I mean, you've wanted to ask her out for a while."

"Yeahhh," Cisco replied, "but she, actually, asked _me_ out."

"Really?"

Cisco made a face of mock annoyance. "Don't sound too surprised," he said. Barry pressed his lips together and Cisco waved his hand in the air. "That's ok, I knew what you meant. I was surprised, too."

"No wonder you two have been acting so strange around STAR Labs," Barry said with a knowing smile. Cisco gave him a confused look and Barry stuck him with a pointed stare. Lowering the pitch of his voice he said, "Hi," and speaking in a falsetto he said, "Hi, back," imitating Cisco and Averey's voices.

"Ok, ok." Cisco rolled his eyes, despite the half smile on his face, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"So, what happened?" Barry pressed. "I want to know; you've been working up the nerve to ask her out for a while."

"Ha!" Cisco clapped his hands together. "After suffering through Dante's 'appreciation party' Caitlin had said that she was tired and was going to head home."

"You sure that wasn't just an excuse so you two could be alone?" Barry asked, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I considered that, too," Cisco admitted, "but she had made a comment about Ronnie then didn't really look like she was in the mood to hang out so…" He shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows with girls? I'm just glad she took the time to hang out and try to forget things for a while."

Barry slowly nodded his head. Caitlin and Ronnie, or rather Professor Stein in Ronnie's body, seemed to get along fine while they were both in STAR Labs. He could see that his general presence bothered Caitlin at times. He couldn't imagine what it was like for her to see her ex-fiancé walking around, hearing his voice, and on occasion having the old Ronnie back.

"Anyway, I didn't realize she was asking me out at first," Cisco explained, regaining Barry's attention, "or the fact that she had been flirting with me the whole time." He put his hands up defensively. "Don't ask, I don't even really know how I managed that." Barry shrugged; he had missed a fair few signals over the years. "So we went to the promenade and just walked around for a while, just talking—which is funny, because I used to find that pretty hard to do."

"Yeah, I get it." Barry couldn't help but have his thoughts drift back to Iris. She knew him better than anybody else, he was most comfortable around her, and at the same time he was the most on edge around her.

At times, he found himself working hard to come up with a topic to talk about even though he was comfortable hanging out with her in silence. In his attempt to not let his feelings be obvious to her, he tried hard to feel casual and laid back around her. That led into feeling stupid for some of the topics he chose, or he was embarrassed for getting excited over something she didn't understand.

He spent too much time after a simple conversation replaying it in his mind, thinking about how lame he sounded, or thinking of how their banter could've gone a different way. Or maybe, how he could have finally let her know how he felt way earlier than he did. Then maybe she wouldn't be with Eddie…

Barry hid the face he pulled by lifting his hand over his face to run his fingers through his hair. _Just deal with it, Barry. She and Eddie are together now. And you're still good friends, you still have that._

"So then we realized it was getting late and was calling it a night, and talking about a second date. Annnnd." Cisco held out the word as he scrutinized Barry. A second later he plastered a bright smile on his face. "That's it! I took her home."

"Uh huh." Crossing his arms over his chest, he twisted his mouth to the side. Cisco started to rock back and forth on his heels as the silence stretched between them. "That's it?"

"Mmhmm."

"Ok," Barry said, unconvincingly, "let me just speed things up a little, no pun intended." He clapped his hands together before pointing his index fingers at Cisco. "Did you two, well, didyoukiss?" Once the words were out of his mouth and he realized what it was he had asked, he slapped his hands over his ears. "Actually, no, I don't want to know."

"Ok," Cisco replied with a shrug.

Barry didn't know if that answer was better or worse than knowing what might have happened between him and Averey. He removed his hands from over his ears before slowly lowering them before he crossed his arms over his chest. Leaning against the wall, silence passed between the two of them only Cisco seemed comfortable with it, while Barry was growing more anxious by the second.

"Ok, tell me!" he announced. "I have to know." Cisco's lips curled upwards into a smirk, almost as if he knew that Barry would crack.

"Well—"

"No, don't!" Barry interrupted him again. "Nononono, no, no."

"Are you sure?" Cisco asked, peering curiously at his friend.

_Oh, definitely. _Barry nodded repeatedly.

"I mean, you're not going to give me the 'big brother' speech or anything?"

"No," Barry replied. "Because you and I both know Averey can take care of herself and, if she wanted, she could beat the stuffing out of you." Cisco gulped. "We have a pipeline of metahumans that can back up that statement." He gently punched Cisco's shoulder. "Besides, I know you're a great guy and so does Ave."

"The thing is, is that she had said that the only reason she hadn't ever really shown any interest in me—not that I would even notice, apparently—is because she was worried about if other people knew," Cisco explained. "Other metas, I mean. I mean, they haven't exactly been the nicest people we've met."

"Ohhh." Barry nodded his head. Scratching the back of his neck, he shifted his weight from foot to foot and sighed. "Look, Cisco, when I first told Oliver about everything, and about Iris, he pretty much told me to give up on her. Because it's so hard to do what we do and have a relationship."

"I know," Cisco replied. His lips lowered into a frown. "You think it's for Caitlin, Dr. Wells, and I to watch you guys go off to fight a metahuman while we're back at STAR Labs watching, waiting, and hoping you'll come back relatively unscathed?" Barry shrugged. "We all worry about you guys and we know what we're risking every time you go out there."

"Speaking of which. Dr. Wells," Barry said, speaking slowly. He knew now was a really bad time to bring it up, but being away from STAR Labs, it was probably the only time he could bring it up. Cisco lifted his eyebrows in a silent prompt to speak his mind. "What are his thoughts on this? I mean, people already talk badly about STAR Labs, if they were to find out an employee was at Mrs. Covington's home before she was found…"

"He's not very forthcoming with his feelings," Cisco replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I think he's more worried about you to be honest. Dr. Wells loves his work, but, he's always done his best to make sure his employees were ok." He scratched the side of his jaw. "I'm sure he'd be here for support, but I think he said he went to visit Dr. McGee today."

"Dr. McGee? Why?"

"He mentioned that with the symposium coming up, he wanted to make sure things ran smoothly for her." Barry lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "Mercury Labs may be the Facebook to our Myspace nowadays, but even I can admit they're working on some pretty cool things. If rumors are to believed."

"He knows Dr. McGee pretty well, right? I think I remember reading about her in Wells's book.

"They went to school together," Cisco replied with a nod. "What's up?"

"Just wondering." Barry swallowed thickly. He held his hand over his mouth, pads of his fingers stroking his cheeks before he blurted out, "Sherry Covington's body was left for me. Like a warning."

"I—what?" Cisco asked. He blinked repeatedly and shook his head. "_What_?"

"Mmhmm." Barry nodded solemnly.

"I mean, I know life has been like the movies lately," Cisco said with a scoff, "but that's a bit too on the nose don't you think?"

Barry laughed quietly before moving closer to Cisco, lowering his voice. "When her body was found, there was a note found on her," he explained. "The note said, 'Are you sure your city is safe?' She was murdered while we were in Starling." He bowed his head, shaking it from side to side before he looked up at his friend. "Cisco, the only other person who knew the Flash wasn't in town at the time was Dr. Wells."

"So, what, you think Dr. Wells is the Reverse Flash?" Cisco asked.

"I don't know, I mean, yeah. I just—"

"Barry, Cisco." Joe's voice drifted over to them and Barry moved away from the water cooler to find him. Rounding the corner, he nearly ran into his foster father. "Sorry, Bare, I didn't see you." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "They're ready to speak to us, now. Let's go."

"Yeah, ok," Barry nodded, suddenly feeling nervous. He motioned behind him. "I'll just get Cisco."

"Everything will be ok, Bare," Joe said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know it will."

"Yeah," Barry agreed with a nod. He attempted a smile. "I know. It's good that you're here. I know you didn't really have a choice, but, I appreciate it. I know you'd be here either way."

"Of course." Joe matched Barry's smile with one of his own. "Just don't take long."

Barry nodded and gave him a thumbs up before turning on his heels to get his friend. "Come on, Cisco we have to go." Cisco didn't reply, but continued to stare off into space, his jaw hanging open just slightly. "Cisco?" When he didn't get an answer, Barry started waving his hand in front of his face. "Cisco!"

"Yeah?" Cisco blinked repeatedly before pushing Barry's hand away. "Sorry, I just zoned out there for a second. What were you saying?"

"They're ready to see us," Barry replied, looking at Cisco with concern.

"Oh, ok." Cisco puffed out his chest and used his hands to smooth down his tie. "Let's go."

Barry led the way to the CCPD conference room. As soon as he opened the door, everybody turned to face him. Men and women he recognized in passing (as he entered or left the precinct each day), stared at him, stone faced as he made his way to one of the last couple empty chairs across from them.

"Well, I guess we'll just get started," the graying man sitting straight across from Barry said after clearing his throat. "Speaking for the record, we are gathered to find a conclusion in the investigation against Detective Joseph West, assistant forensic scientist Bartholomew Allen, STAR Labs employee, Francisco Ramon, and CC Jitters employee, Averett Allen."

"Moore," Averey quickly corrected the man.

Barry felt his eyes widen before glancing at Joe out of the corner of his eye (who didn't give any sort of response) before he looked past Cisco to Averey who looked just as surprised and confused as he did. "How did you know about that?"

"Mr. Allen, it's our job to know and understand the background of those we have opened an investigation with. However, I apologize for the confusion, and will refer to you appropriately from now on."

"Cheers," Averey said as more a question. "I think."

"Thank you all for taking your time to come in this morning. This investigation is headed by myself, Lieutenant Donovan, and my colleagues Lieutenant Chapman, Lieutenant Flynn, Sargeant Blake, Sargeant Hicks, Sargeant Cobb, and Sargeant McBride." The men and women sitting across from Barry nodded as their names were announced. Lieutenant Donovan cleared his throat as he gathered the stack of papers in front of him and tapped it against the table to straighten them.

"Now, we have it on record that you, Mr. West, were seen entering the home with Mr. Ramon earlier in the day. Then later in the evening you returned with Mr. Allen, and were joined by Mr. Ramon, and Ms. Moore. Is that correct?"

"What are we being investigated for, exactly?" Joe asked. "Excessive force, abuse of power, criminal violations? What?"

"We'd just like to get all the facts for this case, Mr. West," Lieutenant Donovan said. His small smile somewhat took the edge off of his pressing tone. "If you'd like to answer the question."

Barry looked over at Joe and found him blinking at Lieutenant Donovan's response before he shifted to sit straighter in his seat. "I had previously been given special permission to gain entry to the Covington home," Joe explained after clearing his throat, "by Mrs. Covington herself. Off duty, I might add."

"As Captain Singh has notified us," Lieutenant Donovan said, "when he explained to us why you were removed from the case to begin with. That you were too close to the case."

_Obviously. _Barry bit back the snarky comment. Pressing his lips together, he slowly breathed in through his nose, and out of his mouth. Seriously; why was it that time chose this moment to go extremely slow? Why wasn't there a way for them to speed through all of this? He had seen how long other police officers weren't working for other, minor infractions.

How long would they be out now? Every day he didn't have access to his lab was another day that people could find all the info and evidence he had gathered surrounding his mom's case all these years. On the other hand, it gave him more time in STAR Labs to keep an eye on Dr. Wells.

"I wasn't arresting anyone," Joe replied, "nothing that needed me to step in with what little power I could have over a situation. Nothing that involves paperwork."

"Detective, we're just trying to understand what happened to Mrs. Covington."

"She's dead," Averey replied. "Reckon that's not hard to figure out." All eyes shifted towards her. Barry bit back the laughter that suddenly wanted to burst out of his mouth. "Sir."

"For the record, Mr. Allen," Sargeant Cobb said, finally removing her gaze from Averey after an extended stare, "we are truly sorry about what happened with your family." She blinked, shifting in her chair and added, "You as well, Ms. Moore."

"Thanks," Barry mumbled in reply. He started tapping his thumbs on the wooden table top before lifting his eyes to the clock hanging on the wall. Maybe the batteries were dying. There was no way the second hand was really moving that slowly. How long was this going to take? What kinds of questions did they have planned?

"What was the reason behind wanting access to the Covington home?" Sargeant Cobb asked.

Barry fought the urge to correct the head investigator by reminding him that the house was _his_ home and no one else's. "I was feeling down lately about my parents' situation and Joe thought it would be a good idea to go back to my house," he explained.

"Why not go to the cemetery?"

"With the 15th anniversary coming up quickly…" His knuckles popped as he tightly took a hold of the arm rests of his chair, "cemeteries don't have memories." It had already taken him years to visit his mom's grave the first time, he wasn't in a hurry to go back. Cemeteries were so lonely, so quiet, so final. "I'd avoided it for so long, but with what people are calling the Reverse-Flash around, I started thinking about it again."

"And this Reverse-Flash you believe is the one who killed your mother?"

"I don't _believe_ he did it, I _know_ he did."

"Mr. Allen, the night of your mother's murder, everything pointed towards your father—"

"My dad did _not kill my mom_," Barry insisted, his voice growing louder with each word. "He never would have done that." Leaning forward in his feet, he jammed the tip of his index finger onto the table. "I'm telling you that this guy in the lightning, the Reverse-Flash, was the one who did it." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cisco bow his head, shifting in his seat.

"Sir, I've worked countless of cases," Joe spoke up, placing a hand on Barry's shoulder. "I will admit that what occurred was one of the strangest crime scenes I have witnessed."

"Weren't you the responding officer to the scene, Detective?" Lieutenant Flynn asked. His voice sounded gravelly and almost like he had something caught in his throat. "Even you believed that Henry Allen, one of your oldest friends I might add, was responsible for Nora Allen's murder."

"I did believe that for a long time," Joe admitted. "But new developments have been brought to my attention. Developments that have made me believe Barry and what he knows happened that night."

"And those developments would be?" Lieutenant Flynn started writing on the legal pad by his hand.

"Metahumans," Joe, Barry, Cisco, and Averey replied in unison.

The members of Internal Affairs stared at the four of them, blinking repeatedly. Lieutenant Donovan was the first to talk after pointedly clearing his throat. "I see," he replied, folding his hands in his lap. He bobbed his head back and forth. "Central City _has _seen some strange occurrences since the particle accelerator went online."

"Sooo why is it you can understand that, but you won't believe Barry?" Cisco asked, shaking his head back and forth. "I know the city has changed since that day. My colleagues and I are studying as much as we can about what occurred, but it's like you all want to push it under the rug when it conveniences you."

"Or when you can't explain it yourselves, yeah?" Averey added. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before saying quietly, "It's hard to protect people from things you don't fully understand."

"We are trying to keep everyone in this Central City safe to the best of our abilities," Lieutenant Chapman said in a tight voice, adjusting his tie. "And part of that is to understand the circumstances around those who last saw Mrs. Covington. Now, to get back to the case…"

The questions kept coming one right after another, each Lieutenant and Sargeant speaking when it was their turn, starting from one end and reaching the other before starting the cycle over. Why was Cisco at the house with them that night ("I helped Barry when he was in his coma at STAR Labs. We've become good friends, so I thought it'd be good if I went."), why was Averey there ("Hadn't been to the house in years, if it helped Barry, I said I'd go."), at exactly what time did they arrive at the house, why did they stay so long, what were they doing inside that whole time, had they heard from Mrs. Covington that night, what was the cause of the shouts and crashes heard from the neighbors, and on, and on, and on. The tone of the questions started out light, curious even, growing to become more imperative and short the longer they were in the room.

Barry recognized the tactic. Questions would be asked in different ways at different times to try and throw them off, or goad them into a false answer. Assumptions would be made to try and bring an emotionally charged answer, and if the light red tinge that covered his visual plane had anything to say about it, it was starting to work on his last nerve.

He looked around the room, grateful to know he still had a way out unlike the interrogation room he was trapped in years ago. All the hours he spent being interrogated at the age of 11 by police officers being asked the same questions over and over again, he could never get back and it was happening all over again.

"Barry was just looking around the house," Cisco explained, sounding tired. As the time passed he had slumped lower and lower in his seat. "He hadn't been in there since, you know. He wanted to get closure, that's all." He tucked his hair behind his ears before dropping his hands into his lap. "We went into the house, waited for him to look around, made sure he was ok."

"But why go that night?"

_For real? _"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't plan it better," Barry said sarcastically before Cisco could answer. He chuckled before lifting a finger into the air. "In fact, did you know, I travelled through time to the future and knew that it was the _perfect_ time to revisit my childhood memories?"

"Barry," Joe said in his low, warning tone.

The red color was slowly turning more and more vibrant. Clearing his throat and swallowing thickly, Barry tried to relax his muscles, relax his body, but he couldn't. He couldn't stop his frustration, anger, and rapid fire thoughts he buried deep down for years from bursting out in a rush.

"I'm sorry I didn't schedule when I finally decided to go and face my past and run it by you," he said through clenched teeth, "I'll be sure to let you know ahead of time the next time I decide to take a trip down memory lane."

"Hey," Cisco said, placing a hand on Barry's shoulder. "Calm down, Bare, it's ok."

"No, it's not."

"Mr. Allen, it's customary that we ask these questions to get all the answers we need," Sargeant Blake insisted. The ends of his bushy mustache fluttered with each breath he took.

"Yeah, ok." Barry snorted. "What does this have to do with our current situation?"

"Witnessing a devastating trauma the likes of this at such a young age can result in many behavioral changes," the Sargeant replied. "We have noticed a startling pattern of lateness and aggression with you as of late, Mr. Allen. Patterns that have come to our attention from Captain Singh, I might add."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Barry said with an odd smile. "Maybe because a lot of you people never want to believe anything until it's sitting right in front of your face."

"Barry!" Now Barry ignored Averey. It was like Cisco said, they could believe that metahumans were causing strange occurrences around town, but even if they have a semi-copy-cat kill on their hands, they don't want to believe that someone like the Reverse-Flash wasn't involved?

"Look, you weren't there that night, ok?" he asked, eyes narrowing. "You didn't see how terrified my mom was, or how helpless me and my dad were. I don't know how I got out of that house that night. I don't know how I turned up miles away, but it all happened!" He swallowed thickly. "And it's happening again. Sherry Covington died the exact same way in the same place my mom did. This was a warning."

Sargeant Blake slowly nodded his head before he started writing quickly on his own legal pad. "There were no problems with your parents? With their marriage?" he asked.

Barry stared at the Sargeant until he lifted his head to look him in the eye. "My parents loved each other," he replied.

"Good." Sargeant Blake's eyes shifted over towards Barry and he stiffened. He and Averey were close in age, only born months apart. Of course another child from another mother would indicate something wrong with a marriage. But, he wasn't lying. Anyone that would see his parents knew that they truly were meant to be together. Barry's eyes narrowed. What was his plan?

"While you were at the Covington home, Ms. Moore, did you take anything from the house?" Lieutenant Donovan asked, suddenly switching topics.

Averey was thrown off guard as she sat silently staring at the man before finally asking, "Sorry?" Barry turned his head to watch one of Averey's eyebrow lift, the other lower in a gaze that was half confusion and half taken aback.

"When you were at the Covington home, did you take anything on your way out?" Lieutenant Donovan repeated.

Averey opened and closed her mouth before placing a smile on her face, folding her hands on the table. "With all due respect, _sir_," she said through her smile, "I understood your abrupt question. I just wanted you to clarify why you were asking in the first place."

"Please correct me if I'm wrong." Lieutenant Donovan started shifting through the stack of papers in front of him before coming upon papers stapled together, removing it from the pile. "You spent three months in jail while awaiting trial for a shoplifting charge before being given a year of probation." He set the stapled paper down onto the table before sliding it towards her. "Yes?"

Barry watched as Averey's face went stony when her mug shot stopped in front of her. She didn't move to take it, instead pulled her hands back from the paper as if worried it would bite her. The Averey in the picture was different then who was sitting in the room. In the picture, her hair was shorter and messier with light brown streaks; she looked tired with her makeup smudged around eyes gazing straight ahead filled with worry, fear, and what looked like the start of tears. If he hadn't witnesses the fear and worry or seen it in her eyes in person, he would've thought he was looking at an entirely different person.

From where he was sitting, Barry could make out bits and pieces of the criminal record. There was one entry under total arrests, and breaking that down even further, zeroes and ones sat beside some of the abbreviated categories; one misdemeanor conviction, nothing under the juvenile category, no warrants, no open probations, and one expired probation followed by information he couldn't read from his angle.

"Ms. Moore?"

A muscle in Averey's jaw twitched as she pressed her lips together, staring down at her own picture. Cisco slapped is hand down on top of the paper (Barry jumped at the sudden sound interrupting the silence), covering the pictured Averey's face. Sliding the printed criminal record towards him, he flipped it over to the back and pushed it back towards the Lieutenant. Barry smiled.

"I didn't take anything from the house," Averey said quietly, talking more to the table then the people sitting in front of her.

"But you, in fact, were arrested for alleged gang activity—"

"Those charges were dropped."

"-and shoplifting before being held in Keystone City Jail for three months for the latter charge?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Now—"

"_But_," Averey stressed, lifting her head to look the officer in the eye, "I wouldn't be stupid enough to pinch something from a house with a bloody police officer present." Cisco placed his hand on top of Averey's, stroking her skin with his thumb.

"Sir," Joe spoke up, trying to break into the back and forth between the officer and young woman, "While I understand your need for these questions, I'm sure anything missing would have appeared in a crime scene report."

"Look, yes, we were at the Allen house before Sherry Covington was found murdered, but we had left way before she had turned up stabbed through the heart," Cisco said. "But, we didn't have anything to do with that like we've explained."

"Over and over and over," Averey added.

"It's important that we have our facts straight—"

_Blah, blah, blah! _Barry let out a sigh of annoyance and slapped his hands on the table, standing up so fast that the force of the backs of his knees hitting his chair nearly made it fall over.

"Maybe if this god damn police department actually did their jobs, and didn't rely on the rest of us who go out day after day to face these things, you wouldn't have had two women," he jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb, "one of them being _my mother_—facing the same fate and you _would have your god damn facts straight_!" Barry snarled.

Trying to get to the bottom of a crime, he could understand, but bringing up inner office worries, implying that his parents were having problems with their marriage, Averey's prior arrest, and masquerading a railroad interrogation as a commonplace question and answer session made him lose it—as professionally as he could. Pressing his weight onto his hands stopped himself from leaping across the table and doing whatever thought would stick in his mind for even a second.

The silence was unnerving as he sat back down. It was even more noticeable then it had been before. Joe let out a sigh through his nose, running a hand over his face. Barry mumbled an apology to Joe, as he dropped back down into his seat, quickly realizing he had insulted him. Seeing how hard Joe worked day in and day out, he didn't deserve to be added into Barry's outburst. At the same time, it took Joe a long time to admit that he could have been wrong in blaming Barry's dad for his mom's death. Barry thought he got over that a long time ago.

"Are we done?" he asked in a tight voice.

"Yes, well," Lieutenant Donovan shuffled and reshuffled the papers in front of him. He looked at the men and women to his left and right who gave slight nods of their heads. "That will be all. We've had all of our questions answered. We'll discuss this further with all of the information we have and let you know of our final decision. Once again, thank you for coming in, today."

Barry was instantly on his feet and out the door before anyone could offer so much as a handshake towards him. Trying to use his breathing to calm himself down, he paced back and forth in the hallway, hands clasped tightly in front of his mouth. After a long breath of air outwards, his pacing slowed, legs barely moving until he collapsed against a wall, tears filling his eyes. His lips quivered as he dabbed at his eyes with the cloth that covered his wrist before he curled his fingers into a fist, slamming the bottom of his fist into the wall.

Feeling a hand on the small of his back, Barry cracked open his eyes and came face to face with a shimmering Iris. Blinking rapidly, he cleared his eyes of the tears that were waiting to fall and took in the look of concern on her face.

"Iris."

"I tried to get here earlier," Iris explained, using her hand to wipe at his cheeks. Barry sniffed, trying to stop himself. "Mr. Larkin wanted me to stick around CCPN just in case anything with the Flash came up. He had me fact checking for Mason Bridge. Plus my advisor has been hounding me for the edits on my thesis and I needed to send it in." All Barry could do was nod his head, the lump in his throat still making it hard to speak. "But, I'm here now. What do you need?"

Barry sighed, feeling himself relax for the first time since he set foot in the building that morning. Leave it to Iris to always say the right thing. Even when he was talking back to Joe, taking his anger out on Iris, or making her take the brunt of Joe's anger and worry when he tried multiple times to run away, she was always there whenever he calmed down to make sure he got whatever it was that he needed. Whether it was an ear to listen, someone to sit in silence with, someone to take a walk around the city with, or someone to call him out for being a jerk, Iris would play the role for him.

"I need this all to just go away," Barry replied, his voice dry and cracking. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I swear, if it's not one thing it's something else."

"It's over now," Iris said, grasping what part of his hand she could. "Now we just have to wait for you and dad to be cleared, and we both know you will be. You're a hard worker, you see things other people don't, and dad has years of the CCPD under his belt. People will vouch for you and this will all be cleared up soon. It'll all be ok." She cupped his cheek with her hand. "I promise."

Barry nodded, placing his hand on top of hers. Attempting to swallow the lump in his throat, he nodded his head. "I know," he said quietly. "God, Iris, I really needed to hear that. Thank you for coming."

"Of course, Barry," Iris said, moving to give him a hug. "You and did will be cleared." Barry wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. It was always comforting to know how calming, secure, and supportive a simple touch from her could feel. She gave him a smile as she stepped back from him, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Eddie's put in a good word for you, too."

Barry pressed his lips together before taking the hand Eddie held out towards him, shaking it. "I've had a few run-ins with Internal Affairs myself," Eddie explained. "It helps to have someone in your corner."

"Really?" Barry asked, lifting his eyebrows. The thought of someone like Eddie showing some sign of not being as perfect as he gave off, made him want to smile in satisfaction. At the same time, he didn't want anyone to have to go through what he just did.

"It's part of the reason why I was transferred to Central City, actually," Eddie replied with a solemn nod. Iris looped an arm around Eddie's waist, her other hand, caressing his arm. She gave him a reassuring smile, and he kissed her on the side of her head. "But those guys," he nodded his head towards the room Barry just vacated, "they don't want good people like you to lose their jobs. They want to know everything that happened so they can figure out a way to help if you need it. Just like I did."

"Yeah, they were certainly trying to be helpful when they kept insinuating that my parents' failing marriage fueled the rage in my dad for him to stab a knife through my mom's heart," Barry said, deadpan. "It was also cause to grill Averey about her prior arrest."

Eddie stared at him for a moment, blinking before his gaze darkened. "What?" he asked, sharply. Barry nodded and Eddie sighed, his expression cleared. "Thanks. Iris, do you mind if I talk to Averey for a minute?"

"Go ahead," Iris replied, patting his arm.

Eddie took a step before turning back towards Barry. "I saw your dad today," he said and Barry's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "I was at Iron Heights to speak with James Jesse about the City Bomber; seems whoever is pulling a copy-cat stunt is following his M.O. I talked to your dad so he wouldn't feel like he missed the chance to see you."

"Did he say anything?" Barry asked.

"To be careful," Eddie replied, stepping past him. "The both of you; you and Averey. Excuse me."

Iris watched him go before turning back to Barry. "So you went to your old home." Tilting her head to the side, she gave him a curious look, a hint of a smile on her face. "Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go visit? You know I would have gone with you."

"I know you would have," Barry replied, "it was just kind of a spur of the moment thing." He scratched at the back of his head. He attempted a smile. "Besides, you've been moving on to great things with your life, I didn't want to hold you back."

"You could never do that and you know it," Iris insisted, shaking her head. "You know I'm here for you. Always. That's what best friends are for." She sighed, adjusting her purse on her shoulder. "And as your friend, I wanted to apologize for how things were when we went bowling."

"Bowling?" Barry repeated. "That was—it was fun. I didn't notice anything wrong. What do you mean?"

"I mean, you and I kind of monopolized the conversation when you should have taken the time to get to know Linda better," she replied with a shrug. "I had a hand in that. So, sorry." Barry gave her a curious look and Iris laughed quietly. "Linda just had this idea that I could have feelings for you but I told her that we're just friends and that kind of stuff happens when we're hanging out together." She gave Barry a sly smile. "She really seems to like you."

"That's great," Barry replied.

"Yeah." Iris nodded her head before stepping closer to Barry, lowering her voice. "And, I also wanted to let you know that Mason Bridge has a growing fascination with STAR Labs and Harrison Wells. He knows, through me, that you hang out over there a lot and he's trying to find a story to write about."

"At this point, who isn't?" Barry asked, suddenly feeling tired. "If it's not about my family it's about STAR Labs." _When will it end? _He already knew the answer to that; he just needed the Reverse-Flash to make an appearance again or figure out how to go back to the night his mom was murdered. Whichever came first. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Of course."

* * *

**A/N: **I had more with this chapter, but the scene with Internal Affairs went on longer than I had originally planned so I moved it around. That being said, I liked how everything with Internal Affairs turned out.

_Ethan: _Thanks for reading. Caitlin was half doing it to get them together and half because she was feeling upset so I'm glad you saw that.

_Kellie: _It was Cisco vibing. Although, I do like that you can see it as them seeing (or in this case feeling) fireworks/that spark

_Babyj: _Averye's plot with the RFG was originally the main focus when I first started the story, but then I moved it to mainly be Eddie's storyline which is why it hasn't been shown much. As the story continues to the end and you see more from Eddie's point of view, it'll be more prevalent. I do agree though, that I put a lot onto Averey's character in terms of plot from where the story started to where it is now. Your mention of Eddie and Averey having more chemistry together has pushed me to write an Averey/Eddie story, but I do have more with Cisco and Averey coming. Thanks, as always, for sharing your thoughts.


	38. See It to Believe It

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

**"See It to Believe It"**

* * *

"No, mom, I'm not in trouble."

Cisco paced back and forth in his office, his phone pressed to his ear. Holding his hands over the receiver of the phone, he looked over at Caitlin. "How do moms always find out something you're keeping from them?" Caitlin shrugged her shoulders before smiling in amusement, her eyes stuck on the computer she was using.

Putting his phone back to his ear, Cisco started talking loudly over his mom. "Ma. Mom. Mami! No, everything's fine, I'm not in trouble. I was helping a friend, that's all. No, mami, I'm not going to jail, lo prometo. Te amo, mami. No, no quiero hablar con Dante. Adios, mami." After ending the call, he mimed throwing his phone at the wall. "The way my mom can figure things out really scares me sometimes."

"She's just worried," Caitlin replied, turning in her chair to face him. "Dante's party was the first time in a while you two were in the same place together."

"I know," Cisco replied, dropping down into the empty chair beside her. He lay sprawled in his chair as if he had no energy left in his body before continuing their conversation. "Anyway, I don't think I've been asked that many questions at one time before." Sitting up straight, he ran his hands over his face before he dropped his hands into his lap. "Oh, wait, yes, I have. Hartley barely stopped questioning me and my qualifications after I was hired at STAR Labs."

"It was really that bad?" Caitlin asked with a frown.

"Barry tried to warn me, but that was awful," Cisco replied, nodding. "First they questioned us in a room by ourselves, and then they questioned us again all together to make sure our stories stayed the same." He reached for the bag of Hershey Kisses sitting on the table next to his arm and retrieved a piece. Unwrapping the foil from the candy he said, "I feel bad for Barry. He's had to go through that once before, and they brought up his parents, too." He popped the piece of chocolate into his mouth. "He kind of broke down afterwards. I don't blame him."

"Poor Barry," Caitlin said, her frown deepening. "He doesn't deserve any of that." She shook her head back and forth. "None of you guys deserved that. Surely there are better ways to get information from someone."

"According to Eddie, Internal Affairs aren't actually looking to get anyone fired," Cisco replied. Caitlin gave him a curious look. "He and Iris showed up to give their support." He rolled the small sheet of foil into a ball and added it to the growing stack by his elbow. "Good thing too, Barry really needed it. And Averey?" He took another piece of candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth, shaking his head. "If Barry hadn't said anything, they would have really grilled her about her arrest."

"Oh no."

"Yeah, Barry told Eddie that they asked Averey about her prior arrest and he wanted to make sure that she was ok and he explained everything he knew about Internal Affairs then."

"Did that bother you?" Caitlin asked. "Eddie stepping in I mean."

"What?" Cisco asked. "Why?

"You said it yourself that everyone has problems when guys like Eddie exist," Caitlin replied with a half smile. "And you like Averey."

Cisco lifted a finger in the air to respond, but only managed to open and close his mouth. The strong smell of chocolate reached his nose with each breath out of his mouth. What he said was true; the average looking guy was always skipped over for the more handsome type. It was no wonder people preferred Dante over him. Dante got all the girls' attention as they grew up, and he was just cute.

"Need I remind you that _you're_ the one that thinks he's hot?" he asked, finding a comeback. He smiled in triumph when he saw the light pink tinge that suddenly appeared on Caitlin's cheeks.

"I meant genetically speaking," Caitlin insisted, her mouth opening in an 'O' of surprise at his comment, "scientifically, even. It was an observation."

"Mmhmmm." Caitlin made a face at Cisco's smirk and reached for the pile of balled up foil, throwing it at him. "Hey!" Shaking out his shirt, the foil dropped to the floor. "No, I don't have a problem with it. They're friends He's helped her through a lot."

He did notice, though, how more comfortable and relaxed she seemed to be when talking with the police detective. Then again, a lot of people felt safe around that kind of authority figure. But Averey was receptive to his actions when her mugshot was shown to the room. He got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from her, and she wasn't too quick to let go of his hand, either. Out of Barry's sight of course. With everything he had to deal with, it would be better not to have that in his face, either.

He hadn't ever seen Averey like that before; caught off guard, defeated, disappointed in herself, and embarrassed all at the same time. When he first met her, she was tenacious enough to get answers from Dr. Wells that she broke into STAR Labs, open to doing her part in helping them understand metahumans more, and wanted to do her best as Visionary. He saw cracks in her wall of confidence from time to time, but she had never been that down on herself in front of him. He couldn't really blame her, he didn't know how he'd act if someone took parts of his past and shoved it into the faces of his friends without so much as a warning or some sort of apology.

"Just think about it, though. I mean, three months in jail?" Caitlin asked, reaching for the bag of Hershey Kisses.

"And she was initially arrested for gang affiliation." Caitlin's eyebrows lowered, her lips pulling down in the corners into a frown. "What?"

Caitlin was silent for a moment longer. "I don't know," she admitted, her eyes narrowing just slightly. "When I was at Averey's place—" Her face cleared and she shook her head. "It was probably nothing. But, I couldn't imagine what that was like. And then she was stuck at Belle Reve for nine months, not knowing or understanding what was going on." Her eyebrows lifted. "And then we questioned her right after her encounter with Farooq. It's no wonder she didn't say anything about it."

"We had to check to make sure we weren't dealing with anyone dangerous," Cisco reminded her. "We did the same with Bette when she first got here. _And _we checked out everything we could about Barry."

"If you call Facebook stalking 'checking everything out'," Caitlin said.

"Hey, you had the task of looking through the DMV and any police records, I was going the more practical way us millennials use to look up people," Cisco said, his voice shifting up to a higher range in his defense.

He could justify it all he wanted, but it didn't make him feel much better. The night that Farooq broke into STAR Labs, they had agreed that they would help Averey until anything suspicious came up in their background check on her. When her background came up on their database search, he and Caitlin had come to the decision that they wouldn't bring up what they found. Only when she offered the information would they talk, and they briefly had upon her waking up in the medical bay. She had insisted that her being arrested wasn't her fault.

"I just don't know how to bring up that we've already seen her criminal record."

"I'm sure no matter what she'd understand." Caitlin tried to be helpful but looked as uncertain as he felt. "It's better that we found out when we did."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Are you worried she'll be mad? Because Averey doesn't seem like the angry type. I don't think I've ever really seen her mad." Cisco shrugged. "We were lucky that we found her so quickly that night. So we could start helping her understand what was going on. I mean, she went so long with her abilities by herself." Angling her head downwards, she suddenly became interested in unwrapping the foil around the candy.

"You're thinking of Ronnie," he said. Using his feet, he pulled his swivel chair closer to his friend and placed his hands over hers. "We'll figure things out, Cait. We always do. The most important thing is, at this time, he and Professor Stein are not in any danger."

"That we know of," Caitlin replied with a sigh. "I've been keeping a close eye on them, their medical tests always come back normal for them. However, I imagine there's only so long a body can take with two entities inside of it. One _has_ to come out as the more dominate one even with the medication they're taking. In this case being—"

"Professor Stein," Cisco said, finishing her sentence. He groaned, watching Caitlin start to chew on her bottom lip, her eyes darting back and forth around the room. "Ronnie's strong, Cait. Neither of them would have made it this far without both of them. I know you know that. The good thing is, with them being here, you know he's not out on the streets anymore. He's getting good sleep, good food, and good help."

"What help we can give them," Caitlin replied. "I still haven't figured out how to unwhammy Barry—at least not in a way that wouldn't harm Averey in the process—and a part of me also thinks it's ok that he's angry. He deserves to show his anger, to let out what he has been keeping himself from feeling, but then I feel guilty for not helping. Because I don't exactly know how to help. I don't know—" Her chest lifted and fell as she took in a deep breath of air. She then shook her head back and forth. "I'm sorry; I don't mean to bring down the conversation. I'm making it all about me."

"You're entitled," Cisco assured her. "You have to walk around here every day with your fiancé who isn't actually your fiancé, but is your fiancé part of the time, who you thought was dead, but was actually alive this whole time, and because of that, you're distancing yourself from someone you're still in love with." He couldn't make this stuff up even if he wanted to, but it all sounded like a movie. Seeing the attempt of a smile on Caitlin's face made Cisco's shoulders drop.

How could he not notice how much pain his friend was in? Immediately after Ronnie's death she was so focused on making sure Barry didn't die that he wasn't sure if she ever really had the chance to grieve. Even now, he wondered just how long she was going to put off feeling _something. _

On the one hand, the worry and fear of his income, the potential impact the explosion would cause to his resume, and his reputation in the field of science caused many restless nights. On the other hand, there was nothing that could take away his sense of pride for what they had accomplished. He just had to keep reminding himself that it was an accident and even the greatest scientists in the world had large setbacks.

Not that it seemed to rattle Dr. Wells. It was that sort of quiet confidence that made Cisco choose to continue working with him after everyone had written him off. It was that confidence that made Cisco wonder why Joe had his suspicions about him in the first place. Sure, Dr. Wells seemed to know a lot about metahumans and Barry's abilities in general, but he had been working in the world of science for years, surely there were some theories and scientific findings that he could relate to Barry sooner or later.

Barry Allen. He used to just be "the guy who was struck by lightning and lived" to Cisco. Now Barry was one of his greatest science projects and, even better, one of his greatest friends. Whether or not Dr. Wells knew the risks of turning on the particle accelerator that night, it had definitely changed their lives, in some ways, for the better.

"It's ok. Don't doubt your abilities, ok?" he asked. "You're smart, you're capable of doing whatever it is you want to accomplish. I've been lucky enough to seen it firsthand." He gently squeezed her hands. "Just don't forget that you deserve time to let out anything you've been holding back."

Caitlin gave him a smile of thanks. "I will, Cisco," she replied.

He twisted his mouth to the side, scrutinizing her. He remembered when she said the exact same thing before throwing herself into her work for the past year. "Promise me."

"I promise."

"Good." He matched her smile with one of his own. "Hey, so, speaking of Ronnie. At Dante's party—"

"Oh," Caitlin said, interrupting him. "I was feeling down about Ronnie. Dante's birthday party was kind of like the wedding reception I always dreamed of having. Our friends and family around us, having a good time, and enjoying each other's company."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Cisco said, his smile starting to turn into a frown.

"Oh, no, it's ok," Caitlin replied, "I needed to be there and I wanted to be. It was fun. But, I'd be lying if I said, I didn't want to give you and Averey some time alone."

"As if I needed the help," Cisco said with a mocking laugh of haughtiness. "My game is pretty on point, I think." He watched as Caitlin's eyes widened slightly before she started looking around the room again. The muscles in his face relaxed and he stuck Caitlin with a look of annoyance. "Ouch. That's cold, Snow, even for you."

"But it worked," Caitlin said with a sheepish grin.

"I guess I can't be _too _mad at you, then," Cisco said with a sigh, as if he was doing her a big favor.

Caitlin made a face at him in mocking offense, her upper lip curling. "How noble of you," she said, dryly.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, a shudder rolled through Cisco's body, goosebumps appearing on his arms. He felt like he was vibrating, like how he felt whenever he was standing too close to loud playing speakers at the club. His head suddenly felt stuffed, and everything was foggy. A rushing sound (water, or wind) reached his ears, and he found himself frozen to the spot, unable to shake his head, or even lift his hands to his ears to block out the noise.

He tried to call out to Caitlin but her image flickered in front of him like bad reception on a TV until she disappeared, and he stood facing the contraption they had built to capture the Reverse Flash. Chest lifting and falling rapidly, Cisco slowly turned away from the machine and stared at himself as he stood in front of Caitlin and Averey, trying to shield them with his body.

_"You used us!" Cisco cried. "To create the particle accelerator." _Cisco watched his own face scrunch up in pain._ "Hartley warned you but you pushed us to finish the accelerator because you knew it'd give Barry his powers. You killed innocent people."_

_"And for that I'm sorry." _Cisco jumped at the cold, calculated voice and turned to face a standing Dr. Wells. His jaws parting, his bottom lip started to quiver._ "I really am." Dr. Wells's face darkened and he menacingly stalked towards them. "But nothing and no one will get in my way." He grit his teeth. "I'll make sure of it."_

_"Please don't," Caitlin cried, her voice filled with fear. They shuffled backwards, clinging tightly to each other, trying to put as much space between them and the evil metahuman. _Cisco lifted his hands to cover his ears but he could still hear it all, as if it was being projected into his head.

_"You don't have to do this," Averey said, her voice wobbling._

_"I'm sorry, Caitlin," Dr. Wells said, never breaking his eye contact with Cisco. "I truly am. You've, somehow, started to get me to feel normal, like I could be happy here. But, it's not enough." His lips lifted just slightly into a smile. "I really do appreciate the two of you. You've been so loyal to me, so…" His gaze flicked over to Caitlin for a brief second, "loving."_

_"We helped you build this place," Cisco said. He sniffed, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. "We've helped you, we can help you with this. We can."_

_"But then you'll know who I am," Dr. Wells protested, "and what I can do."_

As quickly as the vision came, it melted away from view as his eyes focused on the movement in front of him. Caitlin was gazing at him in concern, eyebrows pulled closer together, head tilted slightly. _What was that? _But he couldn't bring the image back. It was almost like he had never had it in his brain in the first place.

"Cisco?"

Blinking, Cisco removed his hands from Caitlin's giving her a gentle smile. "Sorry," he said, folding his hands in his lap. "Just thinking about something."

"That's ok." Caitlin opened her hands, making a face at the chocolate that was no smeared across her palms. "Oops." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Thermal heat and chocolate never mix. How could I have forgotten?"

"Yeah," Cisco agreed, barely listening to her. "Caitlin, there was something else Barry had said."

He got out of his seat and wandered over towards his workstation. His eyes drifted over the sheets of metal stack in the corner, the small array of metal engravers that sat beside the stack, and finally to the skate sharpener he had situated on the table. All those times he was dragged into antique shops with Caitlin and he actually found something useful. It was a "nice haul" as Caitlin would put it; but a skate sharpener wasn't anything to sneeze at compared to the jewelry she could find.

"Well?" Caitlin prompted. "What'd he say?"

Shoulders dropping, Cisco sighed, dragging his finger tips across the skate sharpener, where a sheet of metal was had partially been carved in a half moon shape. How to bring up that their boss could potentially be a killer? Furthermore, how to explain how he was starting to think it was true, but every time he could picture it, it slipped away like sand through his fingers no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it? They had spent so much time defending not only Dr. Wells but their own jobs in the wake of the media storm that descended on STAR Labs. Were they _really _defending a _real_ murderer?

"Cisco!"

"He said he thinks that Dr. Wells is the Reverse-Flash," Cisco blurted out. At her silence, Cisco lifted his head from the contraption at his desk and turned to face his coworker. "Cait? Say something."

"Normally, I can force a laugh at your bad jokes," Caitlin commented.

"Ouch."

"But this isn't funny," Caitlin finished, ignoring Cisco's comment. "Dr. Wells? He wouldn't do something like that. He _couldn't_ do something like that." She shook her head back and forth, hair flying around her face. "He's wrong."

"Yeah, well, Barry hasn't really been wrong about a lot of things," Cisco muttered, rubbing at his chin. "I mean, he had always insisted on there being a man in the lightning he saw in his house that night."

"He's wrong about this," Caitlin insisted. "What could Dr. Wells possibly gain from killing Barry's mother?"

"I don't know," Cisco admitted. He threw his hands up into the air before crossing them over his chest, making his way back to the chair he had just abandoned. "Caitlin, I don't know. I just know that Dr. Wells was adamant about the particle accelerator going online despite what Hartley warned him about."

"Cisco, come on," Caitlin said with a roll of her eyes. "Everything we do here is a risk, you know that. Just because we had one little set back doesn't mean we just stop what we're doing." She pointed a finger at him. "You were just as excited about the particle accelerator going online as we were. Plus, you were never that open to anything Hartley ever had to tell you, anyway."

"And _you _were just as mad at Dr. Wells as I was that he didn't listen to Hartley," Cisco replied solemnly. "If he had listened, maybe Ronnie wouldn't be the way he is now. There could be a lot that he knows that he hasn't told us."

"Everyone has their secrets, Cisco."

"I thought you always said 'In science we share'." Cisco used air quotes. Caitlin's dark eyes steeled as her words were thrown back at her. "It would have been great if he shared that little bit of information from the get go." He swallowed. "Maybe he's not being forthcoming with how to fix Ronnie, either."

"He's trying, Cisco," Caitlin said, in a low tone of voice. "You're working with him, you're seeing him try."

_Yeah, if you want to call being shooed off a project at every turn working with him. _"Look, you know how much I hate admitting that Hartley is right about anything," Cisco said, putting his hands up defensively, "but I'm only 23 years old. I don't know as much as Dr. Wells does. I don't know what to do. Dr Wells seems to have an answer for absolutely everything. So how come he doesn't have an answer for this? This one metahuman thing compared to all the others we've dealt with."

"Even someone as smart as Dr. Wells can be stumped by something," Caitlin replied. "It happens to the best of us. My old mentor, Professor Bishop, even said that's when the best discoveries are made: when you don't think there is an answer. Maybe Dr. Wells doesn't have one now, but we shouldn't count him out."

Cisco closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh through his nose. He lifted his hands over his face and slid them over his hair, pulling it back into a ponytail between his hands before allowing his hair to fall down around his shoulders. "I'm just saying," he said quietly, "that things around here may be more complicated than we realized."

"You don't know that."

"I have my doubts, too, Cait, believe me. I mean, I don't know how I'd react if this was a second thing to blow up in our faces."

"You have no proof, Cisco. I have to see it to believe it."

_Talk about things blowing up in your face_, he thought with a smile that was half bitter and half amusement. As his words sunk in, his smile slowly faded. _Maybe that's it_. "Caitlin," he said slowly, "I think I know how to get Ronnie and Professor Stein back to normal."

"How?" Caitlin asked around another piece of chocolate. Her eyebrows lifted, eyes losing their hard look to let through a glimmer of hope.

"Well, Dr. Wells and I _have_ been working on a quantum splicer," Cisco admitted. He lifted his thumb to his mouth, starting to chew on his thumbnail. "We don't have anything that can store enough energy in the splicer to really make the device work, but we've been trying." He shifted his gaze over to her, taking in her reaction. "Remember when I was explaining to Averey what kind of nuclear reaction inside Ronnie could occur?" Caitlin nodded. "I hate to be crass, but, I think we need to let that nuclear reaction occur."

"Cisco, are you out of your mind?" Caitlin asked, her jaw going slack. "A disaster like that—we were lucky that the initial explosion occurred in Smallville. Too many people could get hurt."

"Too many people have already been hurt," Cisco replied. "You've been keeping track of Professor Stein and Ronnie's medical results, right?"

"Yes," Caitlin agreed with a nod of her head. "Their temperature hasn't increased, there are no fluxuations in their vitals. Everything has been normal. For them, anyway."

"Then I think we should try it before things take a turn for the worse," Cisco said, getting to his feet a second time. "Call Barry and get him here as fast as he can. Call Averey, too. I'm going to find Dr. Wells and let him know. I'll explain everything then, I promise."

Putting a hand on Caitlin's shoulder, he gently squeezed it, trying to reassure her as much as he could before he hurried out of the room. Rushing through the winding halls, he called for Dr. Wells, his voice bouncing off the walls in every direction. After taking the elevator up to the main floor, he hurried into the Cortex, and stopped short when he spotted the work station in the center of the room.

_Duh, Cisco_! He gently hit himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand. Dropping into his seat, he slid over to his workstation and pulled the small, circular microphone towards his mouth. "Dr. Wells, you're needed in the Cortex right away." Settling back in his seat, he waited for everyone to join him in the room.

Barry arrived first, hair tousled, and stubble on his chin and upper lip. Cisco stared at him, never seeing him so untidy before. At times he even wondered if sweaters and button down shirts were back in style due to how often he had seen Barry wear them. "What's going on?" Barry asked, his voice sounding groggy; as if he had just woken up. _Maybe he had, _Cisco reasoned with himself. Without a job to get to, and the ability to do everything pretty quickly, why would he be in such a rush to get out of bed every morning? "Caitlin said it was urgent."

_Isn't it always_? Cisco nodded his head.

"Averey can't make it," Caitlin said, hurrying into the room as fast as she could go with her heeled feet. "She says she's swamped at Jitters and can't duck out, but wishes us luck with separating the two."

"What is so urgent, Cisco?" Dr. Wells asked, maneuvering his wheel chair into the room.

"I think we've been going about separating Ronnie and Professor Stein the wrong way," Cisco explained. Barry and Dr. Wells stared at him. "We're thinking about what could happen if they go nuclear and I think we should let them do that. Go nuclear."

"Mr. Ramon," Dr. Wells said, fixing Cisco with a stare, "I sincerely hope you know what you are insinuating."

"The quantum splicer we're building is supposed to give Ronnie's body enough energy, the same amount of energy from the particle accelerator, to separate him and Professor Stein," Cisco replied. "At this moment, we don't have anything to help give him that much energy, except for allowing the nuclear explosion to happen."

"Whoa, Cisco," Barry said, looking more awake than he had a moment before. "That's risking a lot."

"When we give him that splicer, to try and separate them, we're running the risk of things going wrong anyway," Cisco pointed out to him.

"Even if we gave Barry a head start with police ordered evacuations," Caitlin said, eyebrows furrowed, "he wouldn't be able to get every last person in Central City out of here." She turned towards Dr. Wells, speaking directly to him. "The second that nuclear explosion occurs, whether or not it's successful, we're essentially bringing General Eiling right to us. He'll know what's going on." Dr. Wells slowly nodded his head. "He went as far as embedding a tracking device into Bette's arm and followed her here." She started nibbling on her bottom lip again. "Who's to say he's not waiting for all the metahumans he's encountered recently—The Flash, Plastique, Visionary, Firestorm—to be in one place before attempting something?" She looked around at each entrance as if expecting the military man to pop out and swarm them in that moment.

"There's no reason to get ahead of ourselves," Dr. Wells said. His calm words were a stark contrast to how narrow his eyes were. "STAR Labs is still safe for any and all metahumans as long as I am here. However, I am not going to dismiss the threat General Eiling poses as well as the very real threat of the nuclear reaction."

"What other choice do we have?" Cisco asked. "If General Eiling wants to find someone, you know that he has the resources to do so."

"Your assumption, while lacking grace, is correct," Ronnie commented as he stepped into the room, his arms crossed over his chest. He lifted a hand in a wave as all eyes went to him and Bette who stood by his side. "Please excuse the interruption. We could not help but wonder what the commotion was that sounded so dire. My two cents on the matter; General Eiling will not rest until he gets what he wants. An admirable quality of sorts, but in this case, one of understandable concern." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Ronald and I have decided that—"

He slowly closed his eyes, shaking his head back and forth in the same manner a disappointed parent would. Clearing his throat, Ronnie lifted his head gazing at everyone in front of him, his gaze lingering on Caitlin a moment longer. Cisco looked over at her in time to see a muscle in her jaw twitching. "I believe it would be best if we—"

"Don't even think about it," Caitlin interrupted him, pointing a warning finger at Ronnie. "You're not going to give yourself up."

"Ronnie, Professor Stein, please reconsider," Barry requested. "You don't have to leave. We can figure out a way to help you."

"While I do appreciate your optimism, General Eiling has once before gained access to STAR Labs, Mr. Allen," Ronnie said, leveling his gaze at him. "Surely you can see how central this place is to us, to you. Given the right circumstances, more advanced technology to know how to 'dispose' of us so to speak, I can assure you, he will return, and he will not leave until he gets what he wants."

"I think leaving is the best option," Bette spoke up. "Go somewhere we can't be found." She lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug. "If it's not Eiling, there's going to be more people who will question things and want to exploit our abilities for their personal gain."

"Iris did warn me that Mason Bridge has become increasingly interested in STAR Labs," Barry said, slowly nodding.

"Considering the lack of innovation at STAR Labs at the moment, that's going to be one sad article," Dr. Wells muttered. Humor was evident on his face for a moment before it disappeared. "I must ask you to reconsider."

"If you leave, he'll just continue to chase you," Caitlin pointed out, "and that's no way to live. It's how you've already _been_ living." She stepped closer to the two metahumans, twisting her fingers together. "Don't you want to stop looking over your shoulder every day? Wondering who you can trust? You know you can trust us here at STAR Labs."

"I—" Ronnie suddenly reacted as if he was kicked, "_we_ have managed on our own with my intellect just fine. With all due respect, miss."

"That's understandable, Professor," Dr. Wells said, slowly nodding, his fingers stroking his chin. He then wrapped his long fingers around the control stick of his mechanized wheelchair and maneuvered himself closer towards the metahumans. "Again, I must ask you to reconsider. No one else has your best interest at heart like we do here." Removing his glasses, he massaged his eyes with the pads of his fingers. "I have dedicated my work to try and understand why you, Ronnie, and Barry, and Bette, and Averey, and anyone else like you that wants help—_real _help in understanding your abilities—to understand exactly how the dark energy affected you, and how we can help you adjust to your new life. Think of it as an experiment if you will; the methods in gathering data for an academic article. From one adorer of knowledge to another, please stay."

Ronnie let out a frustrated sigh, putting his face into his hands. "I do not think you understand," he said in a tight voice, annunciating every syllable in his words. "This city is not safe as long as General Eiling is around."

"And it's not just us," Bette added, "there were other people with abilities in Belle Reve. They were known as The Meteor Freaks." Surprise appeared on her face, like she had recalled a memory that had long since been forgotten. Maybe it had been.

"Meteor Freaks?" Cisco repeated.

"People from Smallville who gained abilities from the meteor showers that occurred there. One of the inmates, or patients, they could leech powers from someone else. General Eiling was working with a General Lane on the research of those metahumans who gained abilities from the meteors shower."

"Seems Wade is not going to give up on his enhanced gene therapy project," Dr. Wells said with a slow shake of his head. "At first, he just wanted to be able to gain the ability to read minds for interrogation purposes, but now…" He let out an odd laugh. "Well, now we know things have changed."

"Don't you see? This just further proves that Eiling will not rest until he gets what he wants," Ronnie said in a tight voice. "I apologize. I have to do this, I see no other way."

"I agree," Bette said, tilting her head in Ronnie's direction. "I don't see anything we can do _but _leave."

"Let's not be too hasty," Dr. Wells insisted. "I said I would find a way to separate you two and I will." He shifted his gaze over to Caitlin. "I promise I will get you back to your families in one piece." He placed his glasses back on his face. "First and foremost, General Eiling wants the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project, and we'll make sure he doesn't get it." Ronnie didn't looked convinced, but nodded his head. "Mr. Ramon, I believe we must give your proposal a shot. I'll collect the quantum splicer, I may have an idea on how to finish the device."

"Quantum splicer?" Ronnie repeated, his eyebrows lifting. "Impressive. I am curious to know where you propose we test this out."

All eyes turned towards Cisco and he stared back at them. "I haven't exactly gotten that far," he admitted.

"What about the pipeline?" Barry asked. "If each pod can individually house a metahuman and stop the effects of their abilities from aiding in an escape, couldn't it hold back an outward blast if one were to occur?" He shrugged when she was met with silence. "I'll admit, it's a bit of a long shot."

"It's the only plan we've got," Dr. Wells said, slowly nodding his head. "Except, the pods are, like you said Barry, alleviating the effects of the metahumans abilities. So we cannot put Ronnie in one of those pods."

"I don't understand, where is he going to be?" Caitlin asked.

"In the particle accelerator," Barry replied. "The blast can follow the same path it took before and go straight up into the air." He snapped his fingers together and pointed upwards. "The particle accelerator has already received some extensive damage, though. But maybe if I can run fast enough, I can momentarily take the oxygen out of the room and kill the fire."

"What are we going to do with the other metahumans?" Caitlin asked. "We can't keep them down there and _hope_ they don't get blown to smithereens."

"Not all of them, anyway," Cisco replied. "But one of them, I wouldn't be too upset with."

"Cisco!" Caitlin admonished.

"I'm just saying!" Cisco put his hands in the air. _Maybe that is going a bit too far, Cisco. You may hate the guy, but no need for wanting to see him hurt._ He had even felt bad for the guy when he was fired from the laboratory. "As long as they have the cuffs Peekabo and the Mist, for example, couldn't go anywhere, but I think it'd be best if we put them in one of the armored trucks below STAR Labs. Like you said, the explosion would follow the same path out."

"Let's get to work," Dr. Wells announced. "Caitlin, I'd like you to oversee the removal of the metahumans in the pipeline; make sure they're all where they need to be. Barry, be ready just in case we need to get out of here in a hurry. Cisco, take Bette and Ronnie down to the pipeline—"

"I remember where it is," Ronnie solemnly. Angling his head to the side, he silently regarded Caitlin. His shoulders lowered and his body seemed to curl in on itself just slightly, sinking into a more relaxed stance. "Cait. I'll be ok. I promise." He stepped forward, gently grasping Caitlin's shoulders before he kissed her. "You don't have to follow me. I'd understand if it was too hard for you." His lips lifted in a small curl of a smile before he turned and left the Cortex. Caitlin hesitated, twisting her fingers together before following him, releasing a deep breath of air in a sigh. Cisco watched her go.

"She'll be ok, Cisco," Dr. Wells said to his colleague before moving to leave the room.

"Right." Cisco nodded, turning his attention away from his friend's retreating form. "I'm with you. We should get the splicer."

"No!" Dr. Wells said forcefully. "I can get it." He stopped his chair, but didn't turn around to face Cisco as he addressed him. "I need you here making sure everything runs smoothly."

"Ok." Cisco watched Dr. Wells leave before turning to face Bette who was still standing in the doorway of the Cortex. "Everything will be ok."

"Will it?" she asked. "Again, I'm going to be the one starting this reaction. The first time was an accident." She slowly shook her head back and forth before scoffing, her upper lip curling just slightly. "No one even asked me if I wanted to do this."

"We can't do this without you, Bette," Cisco replied.

"Yeah." Bette crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers tapping on her arm. "And then I'm the one who takes the blame when things go wrong." Cisco pulled his eyebrows towards each other. "People just see me as some weapon they can use whenever they want."

"That's not what we're trying to do here," Cisco reassured her, stepping closer to her. "You're helping someone. You're helping Caitlin, and Ronnie, and Professor Stein, and his wife, Clarissa." Bette's lips twitched, but she didn't say anything. Cisco leaned against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why did you decide to join the military?" Bette merely stared back at him. "If you don't want to answer, that's ok. I'm just curious."

Bette still didn't say anything. Cisco gave a slight nod of his head and turned to leave when she started talking. "I joined up with my friend, Cameron Scott," she explained. "Only he went into the Air Force while I joined the Army. He always had a fascination with airplanes, and he badly wanted to get out of the city. Keystone has made a name for itself as being the center of heavy industry, but Central City was on the up and up. Central City was filled with arts, and sciences, and business. We didn't know what we planned on doing after school. The military was a way out. I was doing something worthwhile, and giving myself time to figure out what I ultimately wanted to do with my life. As you can see, that really worked out well."

"Did you both make it home? When we first looked for you, his name was used as your emergency contact."

"Did we make it home in one piece, you mean?" Bette allowed a hint of a smile to come to her face. "That depends on your definition." Cisco allowed himself to join in her quiet laughter. "Yeah, we both made it home ok. It's been hard readjusting back to life outside of the military. Despite how different things are, he still has my back."

"Well, I don't know where he is now, but let me have your back now," Cisco insisted. "If anything were to go wrong, it's all on me. I've accepted my role in how you got your abilities in the first place, I can and will accept this, too."

"Why?" Bette asked, eyes narrowing slightly as she regarded him.

"With the particle accelerator, we knew that it could give us advancements in technology, and medicine, and scientific research that had never before been discovered," Cisco replied. "In a way, we did get that new discovery, but since we were the cause of it, we should be held responsible and we should try and find a way to help those who didn't choose to live their lives this way. Whether that's by learning what caused the alteration to their DNA and to what extent, how to live with their new abilities, or how to get rid of them, I want to do my best to help."

"I understand," Bette replied. "I'll help in any way that I can."

"Thank you," Cisco said with a smile of relief. "Thank you, Bette. This could be really big." His eyes widened and he nervously chuckled. "No pun intended."

"Dr. Wells is lucky to have you here," Bette said with a close-lipped smile. "You and Caitlin have been so loyal to him." With those final words, she made her way towards the pipeline. Cisco watched her go and let out a heavy sigh.

"So I've been told," he muttered before following her. Pushing as much confidence into his body as he could, he clapped his hands together as he reached the pipeline. "Ok guys, we've only got one shot at this. Have all the metahumans been taken out o f the pipeline?"

"They're all accounted for," Caitlin replied with a nod, looking up from the tablet in her hands, "some with more choice words than others."

"Great. Is everybody else ready? Once this door closes, it's up to Bette and Barry on the other side. Barry, get Bette into one of the pods as soon as you can." He turned towards Ronnie who was standing by the pipeline entrance, staring into the giant machine.

"You're staring," he said without turning around to face Cisco.

"Are you ready?" Cisco asked, ignoring the annoyance in Ronnie's tone.

"Sure." With that, Ronnie stepped down into the pipeline, his footsteps echoing around the large, empty space. Cisco looked over at Caitlin who started chewing on her bottom lip again. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her and she was inching closer and closer towards the opening to the pipeline.

"Caitlin," Barry said quietly, reaching up to grasp the mask to his suit. "Everything will be ok." He pulled the tight red material over his hair and down over his face, securing it around his chin and eyes. He was about to set foot into the pipeline when the sound of Dr. Wells's motorized wheel chair reached their ears.

"Use this," Dr. Wells said, holding the object in his hands out towards Bette. "It's the quantum splicer. Secure it to his chest and then start the nuclear reaction." Bette nodded, taking the quantum splicer from him. "Once this is activated, you won't have a lot of time. The energy this gives him will immediately start to bombard his body." He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Good luck. And Barry?" Barry tilted his head back just slightly to indicate that the scientist had his attention. "Run."

Cisco waited until Barry and Bette were inside the pipeline before using the pad beside the door to close and secure them inside. "Ok," he said with a firm nod. "It's up to them now." The words were barely out of his mouth when he felt himself stumble as the ground below him started shaking.

"Let's hope this works," Dr. Wells said, tightly gripping the arm rests of his wheelchair.

"No, no, no." Caitlin gripped her head, chest rising and falling as her breaths came out quick and short. "Ronnie!" She hurried over to Cisco who put his body in the way of the panel on the wall. "Cisco, you have to get him out of there."

"Caitlin-ow! Calm down! Ouch!" Using his arms, he tried his best to shield his face from Caitlin's frantic slaps and hits as she tried to gain access to the pipeline door. "Stop!"

"_Ronnie_! _RONNIE_!"

"CAITLIN!" Cisco grabbed onto Caitlin's shoulders, shaking her. Her eyes were wide with fear and rimmed with tears. It was the same fear that he could feel trying to claw its way to his chest. So far, he had done well enough to keep that fear from appearing on his face. As long as he had metahumans to help feed and secure in their specific pods, his mind didn't have to wander back to that night. "_Listen to me_!" He shook her again. "I know this is hard for you."

"Cisco, get him out of there." Caitlin's lips shook as she spoke, her words barely above a whisper. "Please."

"If you open those doors now, we could be incinerated," Cisco replied. He planted his feet on the floor, steeling himself for the desperate, angry, and worry-filled actions of his friend. Caitlin grit her teeth, trying to get past him. "Caitlin, I can't let you do this. Ow!" A spot right behind his ear started throbbing with pain after Caitlin grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. "Hair pulling? Really?"

"Let me go! He's going to be hurt. He's going to be hurt."

The ground shook a second time, harder than before. Cisco stumbled back against the wall, trying to find something to grab onto. A crashing sound reached his ears and he looked up to see the rafters of the ceiling shaking violently. Pieces of metal started hitting the ground one right after the other.

"LOOK OUT!" Cisco shouted over the noise. Caitlin glanced upwards before throwing herself to the floor out of the way of an air vent cover that came crashing down towards her, covering her head with her arms as she did so.

A loud crack split the air and Cisco hurried in a hunched stance to his boss's side. Dr. Wells wasn't even flinching as pieces of metal fell around him. He kept an intense stare on the closed pipeline door. "Come on, Dr. Wells—let's go." He grasped Dr. Wells under the arms and tried to lift him out of his chair and found the older man's weight to be heavier than he realized. The muscles in his arms burned with effort as he tried to support Dr. Well's weight.

"Just leave me here," Dr. Wells declared.

"No way!" Cisco replied through clenched teeth, trying again to lift Dr. Wells out of his seat. When the burning became too much, he dropped Dr. Wells back into his seat, the breath of air he was holding expelling in one single breath. Breathing heavily, he planted his foot on the side of the wheelchair and grasped the arm rest, pulling it towards him.

When the wheelchair was angled enough, Cisco grabbed Dr. Wells again and pulled him out of his chair, dragging him across the floor, the chair clattering to the floor behind them. _Come on, come on. We're almost there. _His back was becoming sore from pulling Dr. Wells and the bits of the ceiling that was hitting him as it was being knocked loose from the ceiling. "Almost there," he said between gasps of air, walking backwards as quickly as he could. Once coming upon an alcove in the wall, he pulled Dr. Wells to safety, grasping onto his pants legs to tuck his legs safely inside.

"Cisco," Dr. Wells said, grasping tightly onto Cisco's elbow as he was pulled into the young scientist's chest to shield him from any falling debris. "Thank you."

Squeezing his eyes shut, he held Dr. Wells close behind him praying and willing the shaking to stop. When would it stop? His heart hammered in his chest, adding to the cacophony of the room breaking down around him. Dr. Wells tightly clung to him, his fingers digging into his muscles as the tremors started to lessen in intensity. When they stopped moments later, Cisco continued to crouch in the alcove, feeling every cell in his body continue to shake.

"Cisco," Dr. Wells said, tapping him on the arm. "Cisco, we need to open the doors!"

"Dr. Wells, are you ok?" Cisco asked, ignoring Dr. Wells's command to look him over. "Does anything hurt?"

"Well, I can't feel my legs," Dr. Wells said flatly, giving Cisco a look of frustration and annoyance. "You don't think that would be a problem, do you, Mr. Ramon?"

"Very funny." Cisco straightened the abandoned wheelchair before returning for Dr. Wells. Cradling the back of Dr. Wells's neck with one arm and bracing the back his knees with the other, Cisco let out a grunt of effort as he lifted his boss in the air. The muscles in his lower back spasmed as he leaned arched his back to counteract the weight of Dr. Wels in his arms. Shuffling forward in quick steps, he all but dropped the man into his chair when his arms gave out. "Sorry."

"Not like I could feel it anyway," Dr. Wells replied, waving him off.

"Caitlin?" Cisco asked, kneeling beside his friend. He waved a hand in Caitlin's face before holding up four fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four," Caitlin replied, pushing his hand away. She squinted against the light in the room. "I'm ok."

"Good." Cisco placed a hand on Caitlin's shoulder and gently squeezed it before hurrying to the wall panel and inserting the code to open the heavy particle accelerator door. Wringing his hands together, he shifted his weight from foot to foot as he watched the door lift second by second. "Come on, come on, come on. Open!" An acrid smell hit him full force as wisps of smoke floated out of the cavern. Coughing and waving the smoke away from his nose, he peered into the dark area. "Barry? Bette?"

"Ronnie!" Caitlin and Dr. Wells were now standing by his side, trying to see through the dissipating smoke.

"I think we're going to need some new clothes," Barry said around a coughing fit as he stepped out of the particle accelerator, tightly gripping Professor Stein. Their faces were smudged with dirt and grime. Professor Stein's glasses sat askew on his face, his clothes ripped and torn. Bette followed behind them, helping Ronnie who was leaning heavily against her, shirt barely hanging onto his torso by a swatch of material.

"Ronnie." Caitlin stepped over to the long haired man, peering up at him in wonder. Ronnie removed his arm from around Bette, giving her a smile of thanks, before allowing her to step into his arms. "I can't believe it. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Ronnie reassured her, placing a kiss on top of her head. "I'm back."

"Come on, let's get you all to the medical bay," Caitlin offered, looping her arm around Ronnie's waist. "You all have been through a lot."

"Welcome back, Mr. Ramon," Dr. Wells said with a smile, offering his hand to Ronnie as he passed him. "And you as well, of course, Professor Stein. It certainly is good to see you both."

"Happy to be here," Professor Stein said with a chuckle, removing his arm from around Averey's shoulders to touch his own chest. "In one piece, I must add."

"Good work, Barry," Cisco said, offering his hand to Barry who smiled and clapped his gloved hand into Cisco's. "I knew you could it."

"It was a group effort," Barry replied. "But we couldn't have done it without you, Cisco." Coughing, he lifted a hand to his chest and turned towards Bette as Dr. Wells motioned for everyone to follow him to the medical bay. "Still think you can't be of help around here?" Bette's lips barely lifted in the corners in a smile.

Cisco stayed behind to secure the pipeline once more, watching the door slide shut with a smile. Once again, STAR Labs had a triumph, even if it was a small one. This was what he was here for; to help the people of Central City. If that meant they had to start with their work family that was ok. If Barry could continue to live his life despite anything people assumed about him and his family, then he could too. All of the negative opinions, and Cisco's own fears and doubts could suck it.

"Cisco?"

Cisco turned away from the pipeline and gave Caitlin, who was walking towards him with meaningful strides, a smile meeting her halfway to return her tight hug.

* * *

Eddie tossed his work phone into the passenger seat of his car before tilting back in his seat, running his hands repeatedly over his face. He loved his job but he was glad for not only his shift for the day to be over as well as his upcoming day off. Juggling multiple cases when he had a partner like Joe to work with was extremely easy to do, but when he was working by himself (or with any other floating partner Captain Singh assigned to him for the day), he felt like he was drowning in paperwork, calls, and meetings with Captain Singh.

On top of everything he had to deal with in office or on the street, the Metahuman Task Force added much more onto his plate. Leading meeting after meeting to discuss how to better themselves for the next attack and to learn from their mistakes from their previous encounters was more taxing than he imagined when he first pitched the idea. The Flash was no longer the center of the Task Force's attention, and often made calls easier for them, but Eddie still harbored some resentment for taking the job away from the police.

No one could ever predict someone like the Flash would appear. It wasn't like anything he had learned from countless hours in classrooms and pouring over textbooks. There wasn't an online course he could take on working alongside metahumans. If Joe had no problem working with the mysterious red clad speedster, then he could learn to accept the changing world around him.

Eddie jumped, a scream slipping out of his mouth, grabbing the seat belt that sat across his chest when he heard knocking on his window. "Son of a—" allowing his body to relax, he rolled down the window and made a face at Joe's laughter. "That's not funny."

"Good to know you've still got quick reflexes, partner," Joe commented, resting his arms against the windowsill.

"I need it with whom I've been assigned to work with," Eddie said, trying to calm his racing heart. Tugging on the brim of his cabbie hat, Joe regarded him with curiosity. "Detective Woodley."

"Oooh," Joe said, making a face. "Oh, no. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well," Eddie popped the buckle of his seatbelt, "I can't wait until you can come back to work." Gathering his belongings, he climbed out of his car and slammed the door shut behind him. Squinting an eye against the setting sun he said, "When is that again?"

"Whenever the Chief decides to call," Joe replied, clapping Eddie on the shoulder. "It should be any day now, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm hoping for sooner."

"Me, too. Fingers crossed." He lifted his hand and wrapped his index finger around his middle finger as the two men started across the open parking lot towards CC Jitters. "Thanks for meeting up with me, Joe."

"It's not like I have anything better to do, right?" Joe asked. Eddie opened his mouth to reply before snapping it shut. Joe lifted an eyebrow as he looked over at his partner. "That was a joke."

"Right. Right!" Eddie replied, letting out his breath in a _whoosh_ of relief. He mimed wiping sweat off his forehead. "I knew that! Ha, ha, ha."

Joe looked like he was going to comment but instead shook his head, blinking repeatedly. "That's one thing I didn't miss," he muttered, glancing both ways for street traffic before making his way through the crosswalk. He looked back at Eddie over his shoulder. "Thank _you _for not dropping me the second I was suspended. I've seen a lot of people climb the ladder with interesting tactics."

"Whenever it is that you get back to work," Eddie said, holding his bag to his side as he hurried to catch up to Joe. "I want you to hit the ground running. We can't waste any time."

"Ok, but why meet up at Jitters of all places?" Joe asked, hopping up onto the curb.

"More people there, the less likely we'll be overheard," Eddie replied. "Plus, technically, I'm still on duty so I can't go to the bar." He twisted his mouth to the side in a grimace. "No matter how badly I want to at the moment."

"Mmmm, one of those days, huh?" Joe asked.

"That has stretched on forever and ever," Eddie replied with a nod. "In fact, every day has felt like that and I've honestly started to forget what day of the week it is." He stretched his arms over his head. "Work has been so busy for Iris and I that we have barely had any time for intimacy."

"Ok, ok, I got it," Joe said, loudly talking over Eddie. He looked like he was one step away from covering his ears with his hands. "Didn't miss _that_ either."

"Sorry." Eddie gave Joe an apologetic grin as he reached for the door handle of Jitters. "Sometimes I forget Iris is your daughter."

"How so?"

"Because most times she's completely unlike you. Thankfully."

Joe pointed a finger in Eddie's face before gently jabbing it into his chest. "Watch it," he said in a warning tone despite the small smile on his face, "I will get back to work, _soon_, and then you're going to pay."

Eddie put his hands up defensively. "I'll buy your coffee to make up for it," he replied.

"That's a start."

"Just find a place for us to sit," Eddie replied. He stopped short seeing not only how packed Jitters was, but all the boxes stacked into every corner. "If you can."

"Tracey," Joe said, gently grabbing the arm of one of the waitresses nearest him. "Hi, Detective Joe West."

"Iris's dad, of course. I remember," Tracey said, pushing her glasses up her nose. "We miss her around here, but we were so excited to hear that she got a job at Picture News." She gave the two men a tired smile. "Detectives, what can I do for you?"

"What is going on here?" Joe asked.

"Inventory," Tracey replied, planting a hand on her hip. "Not just for Jitters, but to make sure we have everything for the Mercury Labs Symposium; we have new machines, new cups, everything. We're closing for the weekend so everyone is trying to get their coffee fixes in now." She shook her head, shaking out the thoughts of work and gave them a smile. "Speaking of which, can I get you two anything?"

"Small caffè mocha for me, please," Joe replied.

"Make that two," Eddie replied, "on me."

"Of course." Tracey patted her pockets and the pockets of her apron, finding a small order pad. Reaching up for her hair, she felt around for her pen before writing down their orders. "Ok, I'll get that to you shortly. There's a free table on the second floor landing."

The two men thanked Tracey before making their way through the crowded paths, carefully stepping past chair legs and bag straps, to make their way up to the second floor of the coffee shop. Eddie set his bag down on the floor and proceeded to put his arms on the table, putting his head on his arms.

"I don't know how you do it, Joe," Eddie said, shaking his head back and forth, voice muffled. "I mean, you know I respect you and your work." Joe nodded his head. Eddie lifted his head and looked Joe in the eye. "I just don't know how you can go to work day in and day out with everything on your shoulders as the man in charge."

"First of all, I'm not 'in charge'," Joe said after a second of silently staring at Eddie. "We're partners. We work together. And secondly, you just do the work. It's that simple. Don't take it home with you. We have hard jobs, but even we deserve a work/life balance." He made a face looking like he would rather be anywhere then there in that moment. "Unfortunately, from what you mentioned before with Iris, it seems like you have let work get to you." He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.

"Here are your drinks," Tracey said, appearing by their sides.

"Thank God," Joe said, reaching for the heavy mug handed to him.

Eddie gave her a smile of thanks before taking his drink. He almost felt bad for having to mess up the intricate looking design created on top of the whipped cream, but the rush of sugar, and the feeling of the hot liquid warming his body made up for it.

"Ahhh, I needed that," Eddie said with a satisfied sigh after he smiled.

"You look like it," Joe commented.

"Thanks."

"Just being honest."

"Thanks for that, too."

Joe chuckled into his beverage. "Stop worrying," he said, setting his cup down onto the table. "You've been thriving since you came to Central City. I'll be the first to admit it."

"I think you're the only one who will, to be honest," Eddie said with a short laugh of his own.

"Maybe, but I'm not the only one who thinks so," Joe replied. "Iris wouldn't be with you if she didn't think so, either. You barely knew me or Iris before you volunteered to take all my shifts so I could be at the hospital with Barry." Eddie tapped his fingers on the sides of his mug. "You take your job and your role as a partner seriously. Anyone can see that."

"Thank you."

Joe nodded, taking a look around Jitters before putting his sights back on Eddie. "I know you care a lot for Iris," Joe explained, briefly closing his eyes, "she's a great girl, as I'm sure you know, and while I haven't been too happy with the two of you, it's clear you're both serious about each other." Eddie nodded his head, widening his eyes slightly to urge his partner to get to his point. "I understand you're still having to deal with things from before you arrived in Central City—"

"You don't know anything about it," Eddie said quietly, feeling his jaw clench. He started shaking his head. He didn't want to think about it. Not now. Hearing the sloshing of his drink, Eddie realized his hand was shaking and tried to steady it enough to take a long sip from his cup.

"Captain Singh gave me some information when you were first signed on to be my partner," Joe explained and Eddie felt his jaw drop just slightly, grip tightening on the handle of his cup. "I know you have been through some tough experiences, but it made you a hard worker. I've seen that work first hand and I know you're a great detective despite what happened."

"Joe," Eddie blinked repeatedly before he parted his lips, "What's your point?"

"You're not the only one who watched a former partner be shot and killed from a wound to the neck," Joe said flatly.

Eddie opened and closed his mouth before settling back in his seat, dumbfounded. He had heard only good things about Detective Chyre, but knew nothing more than that he passed in the middle of an ongoing investigation and that Joe was present at the time. Still, it wasn't anything he was ready to open up to Joe about. Every day he was learning that they had more in common than he realized.

"Joe, I'm sorry," Eddie said quietly, "I had no idea."

"I'm glad you were able to find someone who makes you happy," Joe said, angling his head in a slight nod to acknowledge Eddie's apology. "I really mean that. I'm glad that in light of what happened to Barry, Iris was able to find you. I know your job is important to you and that you like to see things through, but I don't want it to consume your life. That's all."

"You've taken late nights working overtime on cases before," Eddie protested.

"And I've taken case files home, too," Joe admitted, "but, I still took the time to relax and hang out with Barry and Iris as they grew up. God knows, I sat through many of Iris's temper tantrums wanting me to spend more time at home. Plus, I needed to after what happened to Barry's mom. Once I turned my back, he could be out the door in seconds, wanting to run away."

"That's surprising considering how late he always is," Eddie commented.

"Barry is a hard worker," Joe replied, talking slowly. "He likes to make sure he's given a crime scene the best of his expertise. Often times, that means he's up way late waiting for things like tests to finish. Which means, often times, he over sleeps."

"I'm not complaining about it," Eddie said, putting his hands up defensively. "Barry does good work, and he always gets it done when it's needed. You've taught him well." It was Joe's turn to thank him. "Come on, Joe, everyone continues to talk about what happened with Henry Allen that night, but they haven't talked about what Joe West has done since then."

"And that's why you make such a great partner," Joe said with a teasing smile, "you can talk me up so I don't have to."

Eddie let out a loud laugh. "That's what I'm here for," he said between gasps for air as Joe started to laugh with him. He looked over at Averey as she came up the stairs, stopping short when she spotted the two police detectives.

"Hey, Averey," Joe greeted her.

"Hiii," she said slowly. Her deer caught in headlights look slowly relaxed as she looked back and forth between the two of them. She turned to glance at the stairs before facing them again, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth with her teeth. "You blokes seem to be in a good mood."

"Just taking some time to catch up," Joe asked as his laughter faded.

"Oh." Averey looked surprised and then confused. "You mean you're not—aren't you here to talk to me?"

Eddie lifted an eyebrow, turning towards Joe who looked just as curious as he felt. "No," Eddie replied, looking back at her. "What made you think that? _Should_ we be here to talk to you about something?"

Averey's cheeks puffed up, eyebrows lifting, before she pressed her lips together. "Noooo," she replied after a moment of silence, clapping her hands together, lifting up on the balls of her feet. "In fact, forget I said anything. It was good seeing you guys, I just need to fetch another box of the mugs upstairs and count them." Eddie watched as she started taking each step upstairs slowly, tilting her head from side to side. "Again."

"What's up?" he asked, turning in his seat to see if he could figure out what she was looking at. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and with the sun going down, it was hard to see anything outside of the windows.

"Just checking for rain."

"It's not supposed to rain today."

"Oh. Well, you know how the weather is around here. It can just pop up whenever it wants."

"Not since Mark Mardon disappeared," Joe commented.

"Wait, hold on," Eddie said to Joe. "_Clyde Mardon's _brother?"

Joe's eyes widened as if he let slip some information , and he proceeded to take his time sipping from his mug. Averey commented on how she should finish her shift and continued making her way up to the attic of CC Jitters, almost at a run. Settling back into his seat, scrutinizing Joe, a thought struck Eddie.

It was funny how, now that it was mentioned, he hadn't noticed until that the metahumans that had attacked the city lately had mysteriously disappeared after their appearance and short time wreaking havoc. Mark Mardon's voice had been heard on a recording at the morgue the night the coroner was found dead, but then he had never appeared in the city afterwards. Eddie had always assumed he was just waiting to plan out his attack, but maybe that wasn't true. Maybe the Flash had something to do with that, too.

Eddie knew that metahumans weren't being housed at Iron Heights. They were still working out a plan to fund a new wing for metahumans and it still needed to built. He just never took a lot of thought after what happened to them after their "case" was closed. The Flash would always rush off with them and that was it. The city was safe again for the time being.

"Joe," Eddie said to his friend, "do you know who the Flash is?"

"He's the guy keeping our city safe," Joe replied with a nod.

"Come on, Joe," Eddie said with a roll of his eyes. "You kept metahumans a secret from me for a while, but everyone knows that weird things are going on in the city without reading the news. People know that the Flash exists. I sure do now since he kicked my butt up and down the street."

"I thought you dropped the Task Force hunt against him," Joe commented.

"I did," Eddie replied, reaching for his phone as it started to ring in his bag, "and I'll admit I jumped the gun on going after him, but if we're going to be partners, we can't keep secrets like this. _Especially _when the Flash has been helping us out. I want to know what's going on in this city."

"I hear you," Joe replied as Eddie glanced at the screen of his phone. "But, I really don't know much more than that."

"Hold on, it's Iris," Eddie said, sliding his thumb in the direction the green arrows on his phone indicated for him to before lifting it to his ear. "We are going to finish this conversation, Joe. Hey, babe." Joe shifted his gaze up to the ceiling, shaking his head back and forth. "Wait, wait, hold on, what's wrong? I'm with your dad." Sweat rushed to his armpits, heat encircled the collar of his shirt, and his heart dropped when Iris's panic-filled voice reached his ears. Joe waved his hand in Eddie's direction, trying to get his attention mouthing, "What happened?" over and over again. "We're on our way now. We're going now. Call the police if you haven't done so yet."

"What is it?" Joe asked, already on his feet.

"My—_our _apartment has been ransacked," Eddie replied, quickly gathering his belongings.

"_What_? Is Iris ok? She's not hurt?"

Eddie shook his head. "She said she stopped by after meeting with her advisor before she was going to meet up with Mason Bridge to cover a story about STAR Labs or something and found the place torn apart," Eddie replied, nearly choking himself in his rush to get his bag over his shoulder. "I have to go."

"Calm down, partner," Joe said, catching Eddie's arm as he went to hurry past him. "Iris is ok. You just heard her tell you that she wasn't hurt. Hold on to the fact that neither of you were there when it happened."

"You didn't hear her voice, Joe," Eddie said despite nodding repeatedly at his statement. "I have to get home right now. I'll just go pay and—"

"Don't worry about it, partner," Joe said, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'll pay, you just get on home, check on Iris, and make sure nothing was stolen or tampered with." Eddie opened his mouth to protest (he had already offered to pay for Joe's drink and it _was _on his way out the door) and Joe nudged him towards the stairs. "I'll meet you there."

Eddie hurried out of CC Jitters, into his car (throwing his belongings haphazardly into the passenger seat) and hurried to his apartment building cursing any traffic he encountered along the way. Flying up the stairs, he came to his apartment and stopped in the doorway as his belongings practically spilled out into the hall.

"What the hell?" he breathed, carefully stepping over the overturn end table sat by the door. Jaw dropped, he did a slow turn, taking in every angle of the apartment.

The couch was knocked over with its cushions strewn across the floor, covering the discarded DVD discs that glittered a spectrum of colors against the light. Cabinet doors were open, some still holding dishes, some empty as they were smashed on the floor. The plants had been knocked over, dirt covering the ground in piles, pictures were laying on the floor with their frames cracked, only the hooks and other wall fasteners still on the wall. Shoes were dotting the hallway to the back rooms, and he could only imagine what it looked like in there.

"Eddie!" Iris hurried towards him from the hall and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Eddie squeezed her back just as tight, trying to stop his body from shaking. "Oh, Eddie, I'm glad you're here."

"Iris," Eddie said, snapping out of his slack-jawed stare to grasp Iris's face in his hands. She sniffed, looking up at him with tear rimmed eyes. "Are you ok? You're not hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Iris replied, shaking her head back and forth and giving him the best smile she could. "Really. I called you as soon as I got here." She weakly lifted a hand in the air indicating the apartment around her before she dropped it down to her side. "I just can't believe this. Who would do this?"

"I don't know." Eddie put his face into his hands before sliding them up over his hair and then clasped the back of his head. With his line of work, he did often get the threat of revenge from an arrestee, but he never took any of those threats seriously. "But I'm going to find out. I promise."

"No, Eddie, just let the police handle it," Iris said, laying a hand on his arm.

"_I am the police_," Eddie replied. His shoulders slumped and he gave Iris an apologetic look. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just can't stop thinking that you could have been here when this happened."

"Yeah, or you," Iris reminded him. "What are we going to do?"

"Make sure nothing was taken," Eddie replied looking around the apartment again. _Easier said than done. _"And we talk to the police. In the mean time, I think you should go home and stay with your dad."

"What about you?"

"I can get a hotel room or something. It'll be fine." He pulled her to his side and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I promise. It'll be safer at your house." Looking around for a place to sit, he walked over to the kitchen table and dropped into one of the only chairs left upright. "You said you were going with Mason Bridge to do a story on STAR Labs?"

"He says it's going to be a big story," Iris agreed with a nod of her head. "That small earthquake the other day seemed to originate from there. It's a great opportunity." She clasped her hands together as she moved to join him at the table. "As far as I'm concerned, the only real story there is how they helped save Barry after his accident. I think if I could write it well enough, Mr. Larkin will see I can do more than write about the Flash."

Eddie nodded. _If only the Flash was here to help us. _He gave Iris a reassuring smile, placing his hand over hers. "I'm sure it'll be great," he said.

The police soon arrived and Eddie and Iris relayed as much information as they could, explaining in as much detail as possible where they were as the crime took place, what they had done as soon as they arrived at the apartment, and anything else they could say to answer their initial questions. As Eddie slowly made his way through the apartment, taking notes on a scrap piece of paper he found on the floor of what was out of place, Joe, Averey, and a disheveled looking Barry arrived and started helping wherever they could.

"It's going to take forever to put everything back," Iris commented with a tired sigh, pulling her hair up into a ponytail after she and Barry straightened the couch.

"We'll all pitch in and help, sweetie," Joe said from the kitchen as he carefully lifted plates back onto the higher shelves. He frowned when he saw the growing pile of broken dishes before turning towards his daughter. "Aww, man. Not the Mickey Mouse cup. You loved that cup!"

"Right?!" Iris threw her hands into the air.

"Things will go back to normal before you know it," Barry added, dropping down onto the couch. His mouth twisted to the side just slightly. "No one around here saw or heard anything?"

"The police asked the neighbors, but they couldn't give much," Iris replied, sitting down beside him. "They checked the security footage and it seems like the cameras went out during the robbery and started working again afterwards. There's no footage." Eddie looked up from his list in time to see her placing her hand on Barry's knee. "Anyway, Barry, how are you doing? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," Barry replied, giving her a bright smile. "Don't worry about me."

"I can't help it," Iris said. "You had a hard time with Internal Affairs, but I'm sure you and dad will be cleared in no time."

"Yeah. Thanks, Iris."

"I reckon nothing's been stolen," Averey said to Eddie, joining him at the entrance of the hallway to the back rooms.

"How can you be sure?" Eddie asked, shifting his gaze from Barry and Iris to her.

"I remember where you were setting everything up when Iris first moved in," Averey replied. She started pointing. "Books over there, organized by author, cookware over there, organized by size, and CDs over there, organized by genre. It's all still there, just now on the floor. Only, I'm not too surprised they didn't take that ugly couch or any CDs what with your bad taste in music." Eddie barely cracked a smile. "Ay, sorry, mate. That was supposed to be a joke."

"It was kind of funny," he admitted. "And there's nothing wrong with that couch."

"Now who's joking?" All traces of humor then left her face. "Are you doing anything next Saturday?"

"Not that I know of, why?" Eddie asked.

"It's Barry's birthday," Averey replied, "and after everything that's been going on, I think he deserves a day of stress-free fun. I was thinking of throwing him a party."

Eddie let out a short laugh. "I think we could all use some of that," he replied. "I'll be sure to clear my schedule. What were you thinking?"

"Mini golf, laser tag, maybe a trip to the beach, anything," Averey listed off. "Or, if we celebrate early, they're holding Trivia Night at Jitters. I heard it's always a good turn out and its good fun."

Eddie made a face. The last time he attended a Trivia Night, he proved that he wasn't the best at thinking under pressure. Trivially, anyway. Stick him in the middle of a fire fight and he could keep his calm, cool, and collected composure.

"Trivia isn't exactly my forte," he replied.

"You mean there's something you're actually not good at?"

Scratching the side of his jaw with his pen, Eddie took another look around the trashed apartment for the umpteenth time, his gaze landing on Iris and Barry. He couldn't secure his ex-partner's job let alone his own house, so, no, he wasn't good at everything, but he sure as hell was going to keep his relationship with Iris intact no matter what happened. As he watched the two childhood friends, he did feel some annoyance bubbling under the surface, but he also couldn't help but smile.

Despite how shaken up she was, Iris was worried about Barry's well being (and Eddie was concerned too; despite how late Barry could be getting to work, he was never seen with a hair out of place) and that compassion was something that made him attracted to her in the first place. She was worth protecting; the world didn't see that much compassion every day and it was nice to have someone to work for.

"Hey, Averey?" Eddie held his pen and paper out towards her. "Could you double check everything for me, since you seem to remember where everything used to be? I need to do something real quick."

"Sure, no problems."

Eddie headed into the back bedroom, checking over his shoulder to make sure that no one was following him. Stepping over the mess, he made his way into the closet (the only place that looked like it hadn't been touched as it already was pretty junky) and reached up for a stack of shoeboxes on the shelf. Even nearly being an even six feet tall, he stood on his tiptoes to grab the highest box he could and carefully angled the stack towards him until the uppermost box slid off and he caught it in his arms.

Lowering himself into a seated position on the floor, he lifted the lid of the box and removed his old boxing gloves, tape, wrist, and elbow braces until he reached the bottom where a small light blue box sat. Closing his eyes, Eddie lifted the small box and slowly opened the lid. Cracking open an eye, he peeked at its contents and let out a sigh of relief.

The ring was still there.

* * *

"You realize we're getting ready to close, right?"

"Does it look like I care?" Averey asked the receptionist of Mercury Labs, drumming her fingers on the smooth wooden counter top. The woman lifted her eyebrows looking more annoyed than she was when Averey had banged her fist repeatedly on he locked front doors until they were opened.

After helping Eddie and Iris get some semblance of security and normalcy back to their apartment, she turned down a lift back to her place and took a bus across town instead. Luckily there wasn't a lot of people on the bus that late otherwise she probably would have faced property damage charges from the punches and kicks the seat in front of her received in her frustration. She just knew Gavin and the others had something to do with this.

"It'll only take ten minutes."

"Fine. _Ten_ minutes."

She retrieved a visitor's pass out from one of the drawers behind the counter and handed it to Averey. "Cheers." She quickly attached the pass to the bottom of her shirt on the way to the elevators. She rode the elevator up to the fifth floor and practically burst out the doors as they slid open.

Marching into Gavin's office, she kicked the door shut behind her and declared, "You're a real piece of shit!"

Gavin looked up from his computer screen, hands hovering over his keyboard, and twisted his wrist to look at the time on his watch. "Well, that didn't take too long," he commented before shrugging and fixing Averey with a 'what's your problem' look. "You said not to go near your family, so we didn't." He looked her up and down. "Why do you care so much about that Detective anyway?"

"Because he's my friend!" Averey replied. Gavin's eyebrows lifted. His chuckled response angered Averey and she felt her fingers curling into a fist. She didn't know why, even now, she was surprised that he could be so calm about what it was that he had done. She crossed the room and slammed her hands down on his desk. "You've already got me doing what you want, leave him out of it!"

"You should be happy; you weren't part of it," Gavin replied, shrugging. "At least in that regard you can honestly say you had nothing to do with it." He turned back to his computer and started working again, the sound of his fingers tapping against the keys filling the air. "I hope you realize by now that your words, to me, are just words. I always need to make sure that you'll act when you need to. If I need to give you a reason for that, then so be it."

"You told me I didn't have to worry about it," Averey said quietly, more to herself than to Gavin as she suddenly remembered his words from the night of Dante's party. She removed her hands from the desk and tightly crossed them over her chest. "That's why you said that I didn't have to worry about any calls."

"You're still a liability to this, Averey," Gavin said, sounding like he was getting impatient with a child. "It's obvious you're not as dedicated as the rest of us, but I'm still holding up my end of the bargain. You pay off your debt and you're free to go. No questions asked." He stopped typing for a second time and reached out a hand, pressing his palm against the surface where she had her hands a moment before. A white light glowed under his hand, his eyelids fluttered, and his eyes took on the same white glow. As the glow faded, he chuckled. "You know, I really don't like having to put so much of my energy into making sure the rest of you guys will do as you're told."

"What are you talking-?" Averey's sentence trailed off as she looked down at her hands. How could she have been so stupid? He could see exactly what she was thinking and picturing in his mind the moment she had touched his desk. There went her quick plan to throw her involvement with the Mercury Labs hit.

"You're going to come to the Mercury Labs Symposium," Gavin said, reaching for his desk drawer. "You will be prepared to carry out whatever we need to do. And if the Flash decides to interfere," he set a black rounded object onto the table, "you will defend yourself."

"What is it?" Averey asked. "It looks like a Poké Ball or something."

"It'll stop the Flash, that's all you need to know." She reached out for it and Gavin grabbed her wrist, tightly squeezing it. Whether it was in warning or just to stop her, she wasn't sure, but wouldn't put it past him if it was the former. "Don't activate it in here unless you want to know what it feels like to fall onto a cactus plant." Slowly uncurling each finger, he let her go. "You're not giving me a lot of options here, Averey. If you want out, and you obviously do, I want you out with the least amount of problems; I'm not that much of a prick. I just need you to cooperate with me. Now can I please get back to work? I still have a day job."

"Oh, whatever!" Averey stormed back to his desk and knocked his stapler, cup of pencils, and a small stack of paper onto the floor with a sweep of her arms. "You leaked that Mercury Labs information the first second you got. You have Dr. McGee at your fingertips and you know it."

"Because she wasn't doing as she was told," Gavin replied evenly. "Look, you're not any better than the rest of us. You were starting to be looked at the second you stole those shoes. Just so you know."

"_That wasn't my fault_," Averey replied. How many times was she going to have to say that?

"It never is, is it?" Gavin asked, leaning back in his chair. "I think the only time you've ever claimed responsibility for your actions was the minute you pleaded guilty for shoplifting. Everything else you've been trying to not be associated with. That's what your real problem is. Just accept it, every decision you've made has lead you here, whether or not you really believe in them. You're not as innocent as you've convinced yourself!"

She had heard enough. Averey turned to leave, giving him the finger as she did so. Once she was back in the elevator, she started to pace in a tight square. "This is getting too close, Ave. Way too close." She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. She had never thought she'd do anything like steal from Dr. Wells let alone having Eddie's apartment broken into just to pay off her debt. Groaning, she slumped into the corner, allowing the handrails of the elevator to hold her up. "Just face it. You've really stuffed up this time."

What else was she expecting? Her life was filled with wanting to do things for herself and dealing with those consequences. It all had started when she bulldozed her way into trying to find her dad despite her mom's misgivings. How many times had she been told to just drop the subject and that she would be told everything when she was older? Constantly being told to wait until she was older was the most frustrating thing she had to deal with when her mom promised that she told her daughter everything.

After that, she tried to take control of her time in court thinking that honesty all the way was going to help. She faced a hefty bail amount and what seemed like a long stretch in jail for that. It wasn't that long ago where she decided to face Bivolo all by herself against Dr. Well's wishes and, in order to do so, she stole STAR Labs property. Adding that into her continued theft as part of the Royal Flush Gang, Gavin was right: she wasn't as innocent as she was trying to see herself as. The threat of harming her family and friends had only become a reality when she heard of Henry's stabbing, and now Eddie's apartment being broken into. She had so many opportunities before hand to ask for help and she still thought she could do it her own.

Having her past criminal history up in the Internal Affairs investigation was embarrassing and made her angry whether or not she could have prepared herself for that possibility. She never wanted to be that Averey again, the Averey that was so focused on what was in front of her, that she couldn't see what was happening around her. And yet, she knew that she was looking to end up in the same place. As the days went by, it was only a matter of when. Staring into the eyes of her mugshot, Averey could see all of her worries, insecurities, and fear wrapped up in that one picture. It was those same emotions and thoughts that had kept her up her first few nights in Keystone City Jail, crying.

How had things gone so bad so quickly without her realizing it?

_Because you've always been so focused on what's in front of you, _Averey thought bitterly. _You never paid attention to what was going on around you._ She started to repeatedly hit the back of her head against the elevator wall. "You can't do it on your own, Ave," she said to herself. "Not anymore. You just can't. You need help."

She jabbed her index finger against the starred number one and stared at the changing numbers on the floor indicator as it lowered. With a soft ding, the doors slid open and Averey stepped out onto the ground floor of Mercury Labs. As she passed by the receptionist desk, she spotted Dr. McGee making her way to the exit.

"Dr. McGee." Averey hurried to unclip the visitors pass from the bottom of her shirt. Practically throwing it in the face of the person manning the desk, she hurried after the scientist, repeatedly calling her name. Bursting out the front doors of Mercury Labs, a blast of the cool night air hit her in the face. "Dr. McGee!"

Hand digging through her purse, Dr. McGee turned around to face Averey. "Yes?" she asked, abandoning her search through her bag to tuck her hair behind her ears, peering through the lights lining the walkway.

"Hi, I'm Averey Moore, I don't know if you remember me," Averey said, walking up to Dr. McGee thrusting her hand towards the woman.

"Ah, yes, I remember everyone that inquiries a position at my facility," Dr. McGee replied, shaking her hand. Her grip was tight on Averey's hand. "I also remember you standing on the side of Harrison Wells when he made his announcement to Central City. It's nice to know that he still has a support system." A soft expression briefly passed over her face before it was replaced with curiosity. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering," Averey said, rubbing her hands together, "are you planning on attending the Mercury Labs Symposium?"

Dr. McGee pursed her lips for a moment, almost as if she was checking if had in fact heard what was just asked of her. "Well, it is a big event for my laboratory, it's a good opportunity to look for potential hires, and I _am_ giving the opening speech," she replied, haughty. "Of course I'm attending." She moved to step past her and Averey blocked her path.

"Don't go."

"Sorry?" Dr. McGee gave her a surprised look. "I assure you I'm planning on attending." She side-stepped Averey and headed towards the parking lot.

"Please," Averey said, hurrying after her, walking quickly to keep up, "don't go. I can't explain why, but it'd be better if you weren't there."

"We have engineers, scientists, and some of the brightest minds of your generation flying from all over at a chance to work in these halls," Dr. McGee explained, never breaking her stride, "I must be there to greet them."

"But, you don't understand!"

Dr. McGee stopped walking and turned around to face Averey. "You are correct, Miss Moore, I don't understand why you're trying to defer me from attending an event that's been held for the past three years and continues to grow in attendance."

As she waited for an answer, Averey's mind went blank. "I just don't think it's a good idea," she finally said.

Dr. McGee stared at her. "Right," she said with a nod. "Miss Moore, this wouldn't be a tactic from Harrison Wells would it? If I know Harrison, he'll do anything for scientific advancement. And, furthermore, I must ask if he ever plans on returning my tachyon prototype to me."

"I don't know."

"I see." There was an air of finality to Dr. McGee's tone. She retrieved her keys from her purse and angled her body towards the parking lot. "Well, I must be going, I still have a lot to do to prepare to make this event a success."

_Oh, you have no idea how much I want it to be, too, _Averey thought as she watched Dr. McGee leave. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed fistfuls of her hair, pulling it until her scalp tightened and she let out a loud groan of frustration.

Henry woke abruptly when a metallic clanging sound reached his ears. Cracking open an eye, he watched as a bright light bounced wildly around the wall of his cell. First he rolled onto his back and peered out the window into the dark night.

_What time is it? _He thought groggily, waiting for his eyes to adjust. It definitely wasn't time for count. The clanking sound came again, louder, more hurried. Rolling onto his stomach, he lifted himself up onto his forearms and peered out through the bars of his cell. Lifting a hand, he squinted against the bright light shining in on him before it clicked off.

Henry blinked repeatedly, a cloud of color sitting in the center of his vision. Letting out a sigh, he dropped his face into his pillow as he waited for the color to disappear. His muscles relaxed and he found himself drifting off to sleep when the sound of keys jangling reached his ears shortly followed by a heavy click and the sound of his cell door sliding open.

"Henry Allen?"

"Mmmm?" He lazily lifted his hand into the air before dropping it back down to his side. "I'm still here."

"Good."

A hand clamped down over his mouth. Henry tried to pry the hand off of him, swinging his legs up to try and kick whoever it was that held him, but they pressed down harder and harder on his mouth. Thrashing around in his bed, the metal frame of his bed squeaked and scraped against the floor. He tried to make as much noise as possible despite knowing that no other inmate could help him even if they did wake up. Maybe a guard actually was patrolling around and could hear him?

"Stop, stop, _stop_!" Something heavy hit the side of Henry's head and he stopped moving, breathing heavily through his nose. The hand was removed from his mouth and he gasped for air before something cold was pressed to the side of his head. Hot breath washed over his face and a harsh voice whispered, "This isn't a trick, but follow me for your treat." Henry grunted as another hand slapped down onto the center of his chest, grabbing a handful of his prison uniform, hauling him to his feet. "Move."

Without seeing who his assailant was, Henry was forcefully removed from his cell and through the halls of Iron Heights.

* * *

**A/N: **I've been working on a one-shot where it shows more with the Internal Affairs investigation so keep an eye out for that. Thanks for all of your feedback with that scene, everyone.

_Ethan_: The one-shot mentioned above will be showing individual questioning from Internal Affairs. You're not the only one who had that thought of them being questioned separately. Yes, Cisco was vibing at the water cooler. Whenever I watch TV episodes I think about Averey's story and where she would be at that point, so I see where you're coming from.

_BabyJ: _Despite that one episode where Henry was stabbed while in Iron Heights, I always felt like he would be the type of person who would do whatever he could that fit his morals to help keep himself safe so he wouldn't have to always be checking over his shoulder, so to speak. With his profession, and how prisoners could get injured, I thought it worked that they would recognize his medical talents and inmates would put it to good use. I'm glad you liked that aspect.

Thanks for reading, everyone.


	39. If It Makes You Feel Any Better

**-Chapter Thirty-Nine-**

**"If It Makes You Feel Any Better"**

* * *

Leaning closer into the bathroom mirror, Caitlin used one hand to wipe away the steam that had collected on the glass to apply a careful line of eyeliner to her lower eyelid. As she straightened, she felt a pair of warm hands slide past her waist before wrapping around her stomach, pulling her back against the equally warm chest the pair of arms belonged to.

"You nearly made me poke out my eye," Caitlin said to Ronnie's reflection, albeit with a smile on her face, as she set the makeup applicator down onto the counter.

"You run that risk every time you use it," Ronnie commented. He pressed a hand against the knot he made in the towel hanging on his hips with. Making a face, he shivered as goosebumps dotted his skin. "Why do you like it so cold in here? I forgot all about that."

"Once you move into your own apartment you can set your thermometer any way you want," Caitlin replied with a small smile. She laughed lightly remembering a time when they would argue over the perfect temperature in their shared living space: 73 was too cold for him and 75 was too hot for her. The only other argument they seemed to have when living together was what they'd order for takeout (Chinese vs. Mexican). Turning around to face him, she frowned when she saw a wet, used towel sitting on the floor. Maybe there was one other thing she argued with him about. "And you can learn how to pick up after yourself."

Ronnie's lips twitched. "Sorry," he said, moving past her at a quick step to enter the bedroom. "It's _freezing._" She rolled her eyes at his over exaggerated shivers as soon as he crossed the threshold.

"You run two degrees hotter than I do," Caitlin called out to him. Normally, holding a body temperature of 100 degrees was something she'd want to keep an eye on, but both Ronnie and Professor Stein's body resting body temperature had been altered the second they were infused with the F.I.R.E.S.T.O.R.M project. "You can control the temperature all you want when you get settled."

"Rather be settled here with you," Ronnie called back.

Caitlin's nostrils flared as she sharply let out a breath of air through her nose. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she could see how much she had changed since the accident. She didn't style her hair as flat and straight as possible and opted for some waves and curls; she wore more make-up and even opted for some bold colors here and there; and she found herself smiling again. Even though she had learned to move on from her mourning of Ronnie's supposed death, it sure did feel good to have him back and to know he was safe and sound.

"Me too," she replied. After moving the wet towel from the floor into the hamper, she stepped into the bedroom as Ronnie skirted around the messy bed and pillows strewn across the floor.

Reaching the closet door, he angled his head and removed the hangar from the door to examine the clothing. "Where'd you get these anyway?" he asked.

"They've been at STAR Labs the whole time," Caitlin explained as she crossed the room to her dresser in search of her flat iron, plugging it in and turning it on once she did. "You a couple extra clothes in your old office. I didn't have the heart to remove it. But, that's it, everything else I gave to Goodwill."

"That's ok, I don't think any clothing is that equipped to having a spider-shaped heart monitor, anyway," he replied. Glancing up from the clothes, Ronnie caught her eye. "That's what I decided to call the quantum splicer if anyone ever sees it."

"That's smart," Caitlin commented as Ronnie changed into his clothes. "I know you want to stay here, have everything get back to normal, but you know why we can't live together."

"It's a little tight for me now, but that's ok," Ronnie said to himself before he lifted a hand to run it through his now shorter hair. Caitlin pressed her lips together as she watched him.

Ronnie certainly looked the same, but he had a different air bout him as well. His muscles were more defined, shoulders a little broader. His body had scars and a burn mark, but he was less spontaneous and more subdued since he had been separated from Professor Stein the day before. As soon as he was split from Professor Stein, and everything was checked out, he held her tight, called her 'Cait', and whispered to her that they could finally be together again. While it was something she wanted just as badly, he also wanted to know what exactly he had gone through over the past year and few months.

She was no longer going to STAR Labs to work on projects that benefitted the particle accelerator. Every day she was waking up to check on Barry and Averey's vitals in relation to their abilities, and their training to enhance those abilities. Every day she was sitting in her seat, helping Cisco and Dr. Wells think through tough situations to help while they were fighting metahumans who abused their powers. Her life wasn't as normal as it was when he had presumably died. Learning about the dark matter wave and how it altered the DNA of metahumans was what gave her hope that he was still alive somewhere. Now he was back and they still couldn't live the way they wanted.

They both had changed.

"Barry suggested that you take the apartment he used to live in before he moved back in with the West family," Caitlin pressed. "Averey was looking at living there, but I don't think she'd mind if you took it. And Dr. Wells said he'd cover rent expenses for as long as you need. All the funds in our joint account went to me after your-" Clearing her throat, Caitlin picked up the flat iron and clamped it down on her hair, twisting her wrist to make a curl. "I told him we could cover the rent, but he insisted."

"It's probably for the best," Ronnie said, finally speaking to her and acknowledging the topic of conversation, "I still need to find a job, anyway and minimum wage won't cover it. I'd like to live together, but I don't want to put you in harm's way if Eiling were to ever track me here."

"You can work at STAR Labs with Cisco and I," Caitlin said. "You know Dr. Wells would have you back." Ronnie let out a short laugh. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just…it's not STAR Labs anymore," Ronnie replied with a shake of his head before. "Not the STAR Labs I remember. Everyone, all of our friends, are no longer there. Does Dr. Wells even pay you anymore for what you're doing?" Caitlin pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, sucking on it. "STAR Labs used to be alive with energy and excitement for the projects we were working on. Now it's just cold." His lips lifted in the corners in a knowing smile. "Or do you have control of the air conditioning there, too?"

"STAR Labs may not be operating like it used to," Caitlin protested, ignoring his comment, "but we're still doing what we can to help people. O_w_!" Blinking back the tears of pain, she shook her hand in the air before putting the burned digit into her mouth.

"Are you ok?" Ronnie asked, instantly hurrying to her side.

"Mmhmm." Caitlin nodded. Removing her finger from her mouth, she examined the bright pink spot. "I'm ok. Like you always said, nothing wrong with a little heat, right?"

"I was talking about trying wasabi with your sushi." Caitlin felt her face burn when she saw the smile of amusement on Ronnie's face before he shifted his gaze towards the bed they had occupied a short time ago.

"I wasn't paying attention, that's all." She gave him a small smile. "You've always been able to distract me."

Ronnie shared her smile, pulling her close to him before he kissed the top of her head. "I've missed this so much," he said quietly. "I've missed being able to touch you and to hold you." With her face pressed into his warm chest, Caitlin closed her eyes, sighing. "And I missed pizza. _Man, _I missed pizza."

"Hey!" Caitlin laughed, lightly hitting him on the chest.

"I don't want to argue today. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can."

"So come to STAR Labs," Caitlin replied, angling her head back to look him in the eye. "I'm sure Dr. Wells will think of something for you to help out. For example, Averey has been working on a metahuman database for us." Her eyes lit up. "Or you could help Cisco! Plus, you could get some pretty good candy out of it from him."

"Candy, huh?" Ronnie chuckled. "I haven't had good food in the longest time. It doesn't taste the same when it's a couple days old and sitting in a dumpster."

"That's not funny," Caitlin said with a frown. _Was it really that bad for him?_

"Who's joking?" Ronnie asked, seeming to not notice her worry. "Bread is hard as a rock, fruit is incredibly mushy…" He trailed off when Caitlin pulled away from him, turning back to quickly finish styling her hair. "I apologize. Sometimes I forget that it's really been this long since—there are days where I feel like it just happened. But, I can't imagine how it was for you."

"I told myself to just move on, to put my attention on helping Barry and Averey and any other metahuman that wanted help but…" Caitlin carefully slid the flat iron over her hair, noticing her bare ring finger as she did so. "Deep down, I didn't give up hope, but I didn't want to be stuck living in the past, either."

"I get it, I understand," Ronnie insisted. He was silent for a moment. "I'd want you to move on whenever you felt comfortable enough to." He lifted his hands, ran them over his hair, and clasped them together at the back of his head. "I wish I knew about Barry and other metahumans, and came to STAR Labs earlier. I wouldn't have been so scared to know how you would react to me. Uh, me and Professor Stein, I mean."

"It's ok," Caitlin insisted as she turned off the hair styling tool. "Let's not talk about this now. At least let me take you out to dinner, or make you something."

"Hey." Ronnie lifted a hand and slid his fingers over the wave in her hair. "You've already done so much for me." He stepped over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We're Ronnie and Cait, just like we've always been. We're a team. Don't treat me like I'm fragile. Now that I have my body and my brain back, I finally feel like myself again. We'll figure this out. Ok?"

"Ok."

"Come on, I don't want you to be late for work." Ronnie reached for her purse where it hung off the bedpost and handed it to her.

Caitlin gave him a smile of thanks before hooking her purse on her shoulder, staring at the messed up bed. That was another thing they both argued over. She was the make your bed every morning type, and he always put it off citing the fact that they would just get back in it later.

"Caiiiit," Ronnie said in a warning tone before pushing her towards the bedroom door. "We can get to it as soon as we get home."

"It'll only take a minute," Caitlin protested. She laughed as Ronnie removed his hands from her shoulders and wrapped them around her waist, using his fingers to tickler her sides. "Stop!"

"At least go get the car started and I'll make the bed real fast," Ronnie said into her ear before kissing her on the cheek.

After checking that she had her keys and her wallet, Caitlin grabbed a coat from the closet, and a box of Pop-Tarts, before climbing into her car. Ronnie joined her minutes later and they were on their way to work.

"Nice, Pop-Tarts," Ronnie said with a wide smile, noticing the box on the backseat. "And they're the hot fudge kind." He went to reach for it and Caitlin grabbed is arm stopping him.

"Those are for Cisco," she explained. His look of confusion turned into a sad pout at the prospect of not having any Pop-Tarts. "He and I got into an argument before we tried to split you and Professor Stein apart."

"You and Cisco used to argue with each other all the time," Ronnie replied with a short laugh before settling in his seat. Coming up to a red light, she glanced over at him and smiled at his pout. "In fact, I seem to remember a long argument about whether Disney or Pixar movies were better."

"That was a debate, not an argument," Caitlin replied.

"Still, I started to wonder if you two were the engaged couple and not us," Ronnie said, his lips forming a teasing smile.

"Very funny," she replied. Drumming her fingernails on the steering wheel, she watched the light, waiting for it to turn green. "I wouldn't have been able to get past everything without him."

Ronnie reached out a hand and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before he cupped her cheek, rubbing the curve of her cheek bone with his thumb. "And he wouldn't have survived his first couple weeks at STAR Labs without you." Caitlin lifted her hand and placed it over his, turning her head to smile at him. Ronnie kissed her before settling back in his seat with a peaceful smile. "Light's green."

Caitlin jumped and put her focus back on the road. After a thirty minute drive into work (where the only time Caitlin let go of Ronnie's hand was when she had to turn the steering wheel), she got straight to work while Dr. Wells asked to speak with Ronnie. After checking her e-mail and messages, reading her scientific article of the day, and making sure all of her supplies and equipment were still in their correct spots, she went to find Bette and started her day.

"I'm feeling fine, no more stress than usual," Bette rattled off her answers as Caitlin removed the wrap cuff of the blood pressure monitor from her arm, "no, I don't feel any different when using my abilities, no lingering aches or pains from training that are cause for alarm, my bruises are healing fine, and no changes in my sleeping patterns. When I get sleep, anyway."

Caitlin smiled to herself. "It's not your annual physical," she commented, lowering herself into a chair. She grabbed the clipboard on the table and started recording Bette's answers. "But, I have to ask these questions."

"I know," Bette replied. "But every day?"

"As long as you're here…" Caitlin continued filling out the paper. "You're still not getting much sleep?"

"I'm just restless." Bette waved her hand in the air. "I'm just used to noise and so used to moving around that being in one place, being in silence, is kind of unsettling."

Caitlin nodded her head. Ronnie had tossed and turned in her bed the past couple of nights. She had also noticed how his body temperature made her feel like she was sharing a bed with a sauna, only getting some slight relief when he got out to pace. Pretending to sleep, she'd watch him take multiple laps from one side of the bed to the other, before tiring himself out and going back to sleep.

"I know what you mean," she said. "If you'd like me to give you something to help you sleep, I can." Caitlin tucked her pen behind her ear before looking Bette in the eye. "There have been studies that it'll hinder your daytime function the next day, and that's not to say what could happen with your abilities, but I can."

"That's ok, Caitlin," Bette replied, carefully rolling down the sleeve to her shirt, "but thank you."

"That's what I'm here for," Caitlin said with a smile. "Just make sure you—"

"Come back after training," Bette finished for her, sliding off of the medical examination table. "I got it. Thanks again."

"No problem." Getting to her feet, Caitlin put Bette's information into her file.

Brushing her hair behind her ears, she stepped over to the shelf serving as a filing cabinet. None of the other metahumans' folders were that big as they were locked up in the pipeline, but Bette, Averey, Barry, and Ronnie's were getting pretty thick, taking up more space. Managing to squeeze it back onto the shelf, she looked up when she heard a knocking at the entrance of the medical bay.

"Hey, how'd your talk with Dr. Wells go?" she asked as Ronnie stepped up the small incline into the room.

"Hi," Ronnie said around releasing a breath of air. "It was good. He offered me my job back, but, since you're all not looking to rebuild the particle accelerator, I don't know what I'll be doing."

"I'm sure we'll find something for you to do around here," Caitlin replied, reaching for the biggest folder on the shelf. Being two folders stuck together, chronicling the medical reports of both Professor Stein and Ronnie Raymond, she had to finagle it out of its position on the shelf. "You're just as big a part of STAR Labs as anyone else."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Well, let me look you over, anyway." Ronnie shrugged and moved to take Bette's abandoned spot on the medical examination bed. Reaching for the collar of his shirt, he lifted it up over his head and Caitlin turned to gather her supplies. As she did so, she wondered how she was ever able to get work done knowing that Ronnie was in the same building as her, let alone the same room. "You haven't felt any different since splitting from Professor Stein?"

"No, I feel pretty normal," Ronnie replied. He sucked in a breath of air when she pressed the rounded end of the stethoscope to his chest. "Geeze, that's _freezing_!"

"Sorry." Caitlin gave him an apologetic smile. She held the chest piece between her hands, waiting for it to warm up. "Well, one good thing is that I no longer need to put you on medication to stabilize your mind. But if you ever feel off, or anything, let me know."

"Sure."

"I should run another physical on you just in case; see how your body is adapting after being split from Stein." Caitlin couldn't stop herself from talking. She and Ronnie used to be able to sit comfortably in silence for hours, just enjoying each other's company. Why couldn't she stop talking? "Maybe I'll have you and Averey train to see what your body is like under stress."

Ronnie stopped her, placing his hands over top of hers. Looking into her eyes, he said slowly, "Cait, I don't plan on ever having to be Firestorm, again." Caitlin wetted her lips, nodding. "I don't need to train for anything. I feel fine."

Caitlin continued to nod, pressing the stethoscope back to his chest. "Breathe in for me," she said. She listened as the air Ronnie breathed in, filled his lungs, moving the chest piece of the stethoscope around his body. "Ok, good. Your heart's beating kind of fast, though." She looped the stethoscope around her shoulders.

"Hm, I wonder why," Ronnie commented with an arched eyebrow.

He gave Caitlin a knowing smile, carefully grabbing the ends of her stethoscope, pulling her towards him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Caitlin pressed herself as close as she could to Ronnie as he kissed her. She knew that they now had the rest of their lives to spend together, but couldn't get enough of him. She had to touch him to make sure he was actually there and she wouldn't wake up from whatever dream she was in.

"Ha! I win." Or Cisco could do it for her.

Caitlin jumped at his voice, pulling herself away from Ronnie to take in the strained look on Cisco's face as he tried not burst out laughing. He had a Jitters to-go cup in one hand, the other extended towards Averey, fingers wiggling. "Told you she would be on time. Nothing can keep her from work."

At Caitlin's incredulous gaze, Averey quickly explained, "Mate, I was just saying, I wouldn't put it past you to be late to work today, yeah?" She put her free hand to her chest; the other held a coffee carrier with two cups waiting to be delivered. "I was coming up with reasons to help you out in case anyone asked." She lifted one of the last three cups in the coffee carrier in her hands and extended it towards her. "Coffee?"

"Thanks." Caitlin gave Averey a close-lipped smile as she took the coffee from her friend. Maybe the heat of the drink would counter act her blushing.

"Some things around here don't change," Cisco said, deadpan, "and I definitely did _not_ miss it."

"Come on, Cisco, they're totes adorbs," Averey said, placing her hand on his shoulder, leaning into his side.

"Are you making fun of me?" Cisco asked. He tried for a look of annoyance, but couldn't break the smile on his face.

Averey's nose crinkled slightly as she smiled, lifting her hand to show the small space between her index finger and thumb. "Usually, I charge a dollar for my thoughts but since you're so easy to rile up, I'll the take piss out of you for free." Caitlin gave a look of confusion as did Cisco and Ronnie (who stopped in the middle of pulling his shirt back on to give it). Averey slowly looked from one scientist to the other, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. "I know how that sounded. It means to make fun of you."

"Isn't it a penny for your thoughts?" Ronnie asked, grasping the hem of his shirt, pulling it down to his waist.

"We don't have pennies in Aus, but we do have a dollar and two dollar coins," Averey explained, walking over to Ronnie. Balancing the coffee carrier against her arm, she stuck her free hand out towards him, giving him a bright smile. "How ya goin'? I'm Averey Moore. I know we already met, but I wanted to introduce myself to you now that you're you." She tilted her head to the side. "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Oliver Queen? I actually kind of miss your long hair."

Caitlin laughed at the expression on Ronnie's face. He silently stared at her for a moment, looking stunned blinking repeatedly. "Thanks?" he said, taking her hand and shaking it.

"It was just an observation. You really helped me out a while back. Cheers."

"Thank _you _for helping Caitlin," Ronnie replied. Caitlin wrapped her hands around Ronnie's elbow, leaning into his side.

"Mate, Caitlin's been helping _us_," Averey said. She handed the last coffee cup out towards him. "Americano for you. You, or Professor Stein, mentioned it in passing. I didn't know if it was you that really liked it, but thought I'd give it a go."

"Thanks," Ronnie said, taking the coffee cup from her. "Americano is fine." He lifted his coffee cup to his lips, looking at Caitlin out of the corner of his eye. Caitlin shifted her weight from foot to foot, drumming her fingers on the side of her cup. "I'll just, uh, go and see where Dr. Wells wants me to start."

"Ok." Caitlin felt Ronnie gently squeeze her hand before making his way out of the room. She shook her head back and forth, staring at Cisco as Averey moved to throw away the Jitters coffee carrier in the trashcan. "You have great timing."

"Sarcasm noted," Cisco said with a bright smile. For a second time, he held his hand out towards Averey, wiggling his fingers. Returning, Averey rolled her eyes before reaching for her back pocket for her wallet. Caitlin stared as Averey slapped a dollar bill into his hand. "Thaaaank you."

"You bet on me and Ronnie?" she asked. "Again?"

"Sorry Cait, you know I had to," Cisco said with a sheepish grin. "But, I won ten bucks; let me buy you some Big Belly Burger to make up for it."

"Please!" Averey scoffed. "Cait, you've got the va-va-voom I've spent too many birthdays wishing for." She looked Caitlin up and down. "I couldn't pull off what you wear, that's for sure."

"I bet Ronnie could," Cisco muttered before practically inhaling the lid of his coffee cup to stop himself from laughing. Caitlin felt like she would fall through the floor when she heard Averey's snort as she, too, tried not to laugh. A second later they were both doubled over in hysterics as she narrowed her eyes at them. Cisco's laughter died immediately when he spotted the look on Caitlin's face. "And that is none of my business."

"Right, right," Averey agreed with a nod, before pointing a finger in Caitlin's direction, taking a step back as if she expected the scientist to lunge at her, "_but_, there's nothing wrong with being a sexual being. Have fun with it." She put her hands up defensively. "That's all I'm saying considering I can see you look like you want to talk about anything but this and it feels like it just dropped ten degrees in here." Caitlin gave a tightlipped smile, nodding her head. "Also, I'm sorry I wasn't here for you the other day. You had already been through seeing Ronnie in danger. Maybe with my abilities and the veyesor you wouldn't have to witness it for a third time."

"Oh, no, don't worry about it," Caitlin said, stepping forward to give Averey a hug. "I know you couldn't get away from work. It's bound to happen from time to time; you have responsibilities outside of this." She gave Averey a gentle smile. "But, I do appreciate it." Averey gave a small smile in return that looked one part relieved and one part sarcastic. Almost like she was saying Caitlin had no idea what kind of responsibilities she had to deal with.

"I can't imagine it was easy for you, either, Cisco," Averey said, grasping Cisco's elbow with both of her hands.

"Thanks, Ave," Cisco said, "But, I was more focused about Ronnie and Caitlin."

Averey nodded her head as silence fell between the two friends. She was quick to pick up on it. "I can see that you two need to talk," Averey removed her hands from Cisco's hand and pointed her thumbs over her shoulder, "So I'll just go. Reckon Bette's waiting for me anyway." With that, she turned on her heels and left. Caitlin and Cisco started talking at the same time.

"Cisco, about yesterday—"

"I'm sorry about the other day."

"I should be the one apologizing to you," Caitlin replied and Cisco gave her a look of confusion. "About not hearing you out about Dr. Wells, and then—"

Cisco lifted his hand in the air. "Say no more," he replied. "I get it." He lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I didn't mean to ambush you with it. I didn't know what to make of what Barry said about Dr. Wells, I just wanted to run it by you. I don't think it would hurt to maybe keep an eye on him."

"I trust Dr. Wells," Caitlin said, tapping her bottom lip with the rim of her coffee cup. "But, if you want to keep an eye out for him, go ahead. I just hope you don't find anything."

"Me too." Cisco took a sip of his coffee. "As for everything else, it's water under the bridge. _Except for the hair pulling_." He gave her a teasing smile. "That will take me a while to forgive you for. It takes time to make it look this good."

"What if I said I have a whole box of Hot Fudge Pop-Tarts for you?" Caitlin asked.

"Hmm." Cisco looked thoughtful for a moment before giving a wide smile. "That'll work. Cheers." Caitlin matched his smile with her own, tapping her coffee cup against his, feeling the warm liquid inside slosh around.

"Cheers."

* * *

Averey's vision spun as she was thrown to the mat covered floor. Wrapping her arms around her abdominals, she closed her eyes against her spinning vision, and swallowed, fighting back the urge to cough and throw up at the same time. She knew that Bette, as an ex-military woman, was well versed in hand to hand combat, but didn't expect to be thrown around like a rag doll faster than she could blink.

And that was pretty damn fast.

"Sorry," Bette apologized. As Averey rolled onto her stomach, she rubbed small circles into the material of the metahuman's suit. She used her other gloved hand before brushing away the lock of auburn hair that fell into her eyes. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"That's," Averey let out a wheezy cough, "ok! I was the one—" she took in a deep breath of air and let out an even harder cough, "who ran into your fist." Sitting back on her heels, she massaged her stomach with her hand and managed to give Bette an impressed smile. "I didn't even see you until the last second. How'd you move so fast?"

"Years of practice," Bette replied, pulling her damp hair back from her face. She held her sweaty hair with one hand and fanned her bright pink face with the other. "I'm a little rusty, though."

"Mate, if that's you rusty, I don't ever want to face you when you're full on." Getting to her feet, Averey crossed the training room to the two bottles of water that sat by their abandoned bags. Holding one to her chest, she threw the other towards Bette, who easily caught it, exhibiting the muscles in her arm as she did so. "Reckon you'll be back into it soon enough."

Bette gave a humorless chuckle before twisting off the cap of her water bottle and took a long swig. "Dr. Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco," she said, breathing heavily after swallowing her mouthful of water, "have they really helped you here?" Averey felt her eyebrows knit together as she tried to think of the answer the auburn haired woman wanted to hear.

In all honesty, they had been helping her understand her abilities and what she could do. They gave both her and Barry a place to learn more about their work and metahumans in general when others wanted to get rid of them or to experiment on them. The daily news articles and polls online about metahumans weren't the most cheerful things to read in the morning so to go to a place like STAR Labs where they were accepted was nice.

"Yeah," she replied, deciding to stick with the positives. Bette, despite having gone through a similar experience, was in a different position than she was. Averey couldn't imagine what it was like to know that just one touch could send something sky high in a matter of seconds. "They've been blooming great about everything. They've been helping you, right?"

"Of course," Bette replied with a slow nod of her head. "Caitlin's always checking to make sure I'm physically and mentally ok and Cisco had talked to me the other day about my role in all of this. I appreciate everything but eventually I'm going to have to leave STAR Labs. I can't stay here forever."

Averey clicked her tongue. "Reckon being here isn't that bad," she commented. _Better than never knowing when the police will bust down your door._

"After living in barracks overseas for so long I don't ask for much in terms of lodging," Bette explained,. She looked around the training room, walking over to the motionless Girder practice dummy and knocked on it with a fist. It was no wonder Cisco liked her; she was pretty, strong, and independent. "In fact, I prefer the blank walls here to the blank walls there." Averey watched as a wistful look appeared on her face. "I just hope that eventually learning all I can about my abilities means I can learn how to live outside these walls. Actually interact with people."

"Oh, I see what you're saying." Averey took a long sip of water, lowering herself to a seated position on the floor. Putting her water bottle aside, she stretched her legs out in front of her for a moment before pulling them back towards her. Pressing the soles of her feet together in a butterfly stretch, the material of her suit easily followed her movements. She had to give Cisco props; it just felt like a second layer of skin and moved just as easily.

"I was proud to serve my country any way I could," Bette explained, turning around to face Averey, "and it doesn't stop even when your tour is done or you get medically discharged or whatever reason you have to leave." Her eyebrows twitched as she thought. "Well, except for if you just aren't cut out for it. I still have that drive to protect, to serve the people. But, I don't know how to do that anymore without relying on these abilities. How can you help people without touching anyone?"

Not knowing how to answer the question, Averey instead chose to put her attention on staying hydrated and repeatedly sipped from her water bottle.

"Those explosions," Bette said after an extended moment of silence, "the ones downtown. Have they said what caused them?"

"Not that I know of," Averey replied, shaking her head. It had been all over the news and there was a hefty reward for anyone to come forward with any information that would lead to a witness let alone an arrest. "I mean, I don't know much other than the newspapers thinking that a James Jesse may be tied to it. Conspiracy theorists have come out of the woodwork lately, though. Like there's one about Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. Theorists think that their 'escape' from their transport vehicle was purposefully done by the city. They think that they're actually in prison somewhere but they want Central City to feel like they can still rely on the local police to keep them safe so they'll put out a news report that they've been 'captured' again. Why?"

"Gifts that explode on their own?" Bette asked, lifting her eyebrows. Her lips parted in a hint of a smile. "Sounds like something I could do."

"You haven't left STAR Labs," Averey pointed out to her. "How could you have done it?"

"Easily don't you think?" she asked in a dull tone. Bette's eyebrows angled towards each other. "My memory is missing a huge gap and I can barely remember what I ate the past few days let alone what I did."

Averey let out a long sigh. There was some comfort in knowing what she had been through at Belle Reve, but her abilities helped her out with that. Bette didn't have the luxury and none of them knew if a normal mind would ever recover those memories. "Whatever they used on you—"

"I think they called it Memorarium," Bette replied. "They injected it at the back of my head…" Her eyes narrowed in deep thought, she lifted a hand in the air before dropping it into her lap, "And then something about the hippocampus and frontal lobe. I'm a little fuzzy on what they said; I just know it alters your memory."

Averey lifted her hand and quickly found the puncture mark at the base of her neck. She didn't give those working at Belle Reve enough credit; they had certainly done their research. "I was able to start remembering things after a while, maybe you could too," she suggested, removing her hand from her hair. "The brain is a complicated organ, yeah?"

"Yeah, but not all of us can remember everything we see," Bette replied.

"If I wanted a highlight reel of my life that I could play back on command, I'd ask my mum to send me the heaps of video she recorded of me growing up," Averey replied dryly, earning a laugh from Bette. "I got you to laugh. That's some progress."

The smile disappeared from Bette's face. "I don't know what they could have made me do," Bette explained. "That's the scariest part; someone had control of me and I can't remember it." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't think its repressed memories. They've actually come up with a way to stop you from _making_ a memory. And they entice people like us with the promise that if we want, they can get rid of our abilities. Or, for me, that I could stop reliving what I saw overseas."

"They know what they're doing," Averey said and Bette nodded her head in agreement.

"That's for sure."

"So what can I do to help you?" At the lift of Bette's eyebrow, Averey clasped her hands together, her cheeks puffing up slightly as she held her breath. "Barry tried to make you feel like you had a place to turn to when you first met him, and Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin are doing what they can to help you understand your abilities. How can _I _help?"

"Hmm." Bette looked thoughtful before letting out a single, soft laugh. "Go back in time and stop the particle accelerator from exploding?"

"Heh. If only." Averey blinked, taken aback as Bette's words sunk in. If only her foot!

It wasn't like she hadn't gone back in time before. Or rather, felt the effects of going back in time. Barry was able to do it once before, and he knew at some point in the future he'd be back in his childhood home the night his mom died. How different would things really be if he ran back to stop Dr. Wells from ignoring Hartley that fateful night?

Eyes slamming shut, pain suddenly slapped the base of her skull. Trying to relieve herself of the pressure, she pressed the heels of her palms against her temples, harder, and harder. It only gave her slight reprieve. Flashes, bits of images, sped rapid fire in front of her; the rain falling down around Central City, the wave of dark matter that towered over, Cisco collapsing to the floor of STAR Labs, finally landing on the intense flaming red eyes of the Reverse-Flash. And then the pain was fading, ebbing away as quickly as it had come, leaving her breathing heavily as if she had tried to keep up as the Cisco's Cosmic Treadmill moved at warp speed—after a hard collision with cardboard boxes due to her attempt to run at 12 kilometers per hour, she tried to stay far away from the machine.

Reaching for her water bottle, she tilted her head back to take a sip (sneaking a peek over at Bette to see if she noticed her discomfort; she didn't), and held the water in her mouth. Only when the liquid grew warm did she swallow. "We can take a gander at the security footage to check where you've been. To make sure." After slowly coming to a stand (hearing her body crack and pop as she did so), she crossed the room to dig through her bag for the STAR Labs issued tablet she kept with her at all times while working at the laboratory.

"Dr. Wells said you were making a database of metahumans?" Bette asked, peering over the shorter girl's shoulder as she turned on the electronic device.

"Oh yeah, I'm done. I just update it whenever I'm here," Averey explained. "Which reminds me." She swiped through the pages until she got to Bette's page. Now that she knew that Bette was, thankfully, not deceased, she needed to update her page as well as Ronnie's and Professor Stein's.

"You mind?" Bette asked, holding her hand out for the tablet. Averey shrugged, handing it over to her. Bette's eyes darted back and forth as she looked over her entry into the database. Name, metahuman name, status, and last known whereabouts were the main categories on any entry, with further detailed information upon selecting any of the fields. "Maybe it would be better if they had left me in that river."

"Believe me," Averey reassured her, "I know how you feel. But, you can do a lot with STAR Labs."

"Yeah."

"I know they're also learning as we go, but, they're trying." Averey put a finger to her lips before reaching over and tapping on Bette's name, switching to a more detailed field of Bette's background. Bette seemed to flinch upon seeing her military picture. "You were in Afghanistan as a bomb specialist."

"Right," Bette agreed, letting out a second humorless laugh. "I picked the perfect job, huh? If only I could figure out how to stop myself from being the ticking time bomb."

"Maybe you don't have to," Averey replied. "There are plenty of jobs that could use explosives." Bette gave her a confused look. "Construction for example, they work with controlled demolition. That could be you. Or you could work with the fire department, clear buildings that can't be salvageable. Ooh, no, you can start your own company."

"Right," Bette said with a scoff, "and name it, what?"

"I don't know, 'Damage Control'?" Averey asked, using air quotes. Bette made a face. "It's just an idea. Besides, Barry causes so much property damage around the city I doubt anyone would bat an eyelash if someone was working to clean it up."

"So they could blame me when things go wrong?" Bette said with a snort, crossing her arms over her chest, handing Averey the tablet back. She shook her head back and forth. "There's nowhere on Earth I can go that will be safe. The world isn't equipped to help us. To be ok with us."

_Unlike Belle Reve, _Averey thought bitterly, _who wants to help by studying us. But isn't that how you learn? _She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. _Isn't that what STAR Labs is doing too? _She may have growing doubts about Dr. Wells, but when push came to shove, he was more proactive with the growth of their abilities.

"Maybe not yet," she insisted, "but they could be in time. My step-dad works in construction, maybe he could build you a place out in the middle of the outback if you want to go that badly." Bette blinked and Averey smiled to show that she was teasing. "This is what the Flash stands for; to give the city hope that everything will be ok despite how tough things look. If history has taught us anything, it's that in time we learn to adapt and move forward together. Despite how forward thinking society is, I reckon it's more important now to learn from the past on how to treat people that are different."

"Yeah, maybe."

Averey quickly accessed the latest video files pinpointing Bette's location and started playing it. "See? You've been here the whole time," she reassured the metahuman. Bette watched herself in the video sitting on the bed of her designated sleep area, getting up to pace the room, leaving the room to pace the hallway, and going back to her room to read before doing the cycle over again. "Look, around half past 8 was when the attack occurred outside the bowling alley. You're still here."

"I guess so." Bette didn't seem convinced.

"Ok, hold on." Averey tried different combinations in Google to see if she could find anything about an explosion around Metropolis, but all she was getting was multiple YouTube links to Mayor Bellows' recent press conference, and news articles from _Central City Picture News,_ _The Keystone Kourier,_ _The Daily Planet_ and on the blog _Saved By the Flash_ on the attack on Central City, little blurbs about the Smallville explosion in Smallville papers, and the initial explosion in Central City caused by Bette. "I'm not seeing anything. That's not to say that the big media just isn't reporting it."

The second the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to take them back. Yet, seeing the look of denial on Bette's face, watching her stalk back and forth across the room, insisting, muttering to herself that something happened comforted her. She had seen the exact same face reflected in the mirror after every appearance of the Reverse-Flash, she had the rivaling thoughts that she was going crazy, and reassurance that she knew what she saw battling in her mind. There was someone who knew how she felt, how she thought. Averey then realized, she wasn't as alone as she had (often) convinced herself.

"If you still want to leave, I'll help you anyway that I can. Promise." Bette gave a small smile of thanks.

"The last time I saw Barry," she said, "I asked him if given the opportunity to get rid of his abilities if he would ever take the offer." She twisted her mouth to the side. "He said that all he wanted to do was help people and his powers could help him achieve that. It was great to know there was someone out there who could do things like me. I just couldn't understand how he didn't seem scared of his life changing because of these abilities."

"And now?" Averey prompted.

"You said that the Flash represents hope and to help reassure people that everything will be ok," Bette said, recalling Averey's previous words. "These abilities have given him a purpose. My time after the military has been hard. While serving, I had purpose, but I didn't have freedom. I'm grateful for all of the discipline it's given me, but I was so used to having someone around all the time that understood what I've been through. Now that I'm out, I have the freedom, but I have no purpose."

"Maybe you do," Averey replied. "You chose to help Ronnie and Professor Stein despite how unpredictable your abilities are."

Bette nodded her head. "Cisco helped me realize that," she explained.

"How do you mean?"

"Right off the bat, he said he'd take responsibility if anything with Ronnie and Professor Stein went wrong when we tried to split them. And he did so without a second thought. If he can do that, then doing what I can to help one person is better than nothing, right? Even though I'm no longer serving I can still have a purpose in life, even if it's not something I saw for myself. I forgot about that. I was so wrapped up in my recovery, finding out what happened to me, and now all of this. Trying to get rid of my abilities and getting revenge on General Eiling became my purpose instead of seeing what I could do with these abilities."

"The way I see it, you have every right to think about yourself," Averey reassured her. "You've been through a lot."

"I see what you're saying," Bette said. "I just want to understand everything about my abilities and learn to control them first. The thing is, I'm realizing that I can't do it all by myself; I was so used to working with a unit of people, it's what I'm most comfortable with. The people may have changed, but I think that's ok."

As Bette's words sank in, Averey saw her in a different light. She was no longer an ex-military woman turned metahuman, but Bette Sans Souci. She and Bette came from two different worlds despite the similar experiences they may have gone through, but, their overall wants and needs from life wasn't that different. In that moment, she couldn't help but feel some sort of kinship with her. Maybe they weren't so different.

"Yeah." Averey said slowly nodded. Looking down at the tablet in her hands, she tapped the screen with her index finger and the lock screen appeared, indicating the time. "Bette, do you mind if we cut this short today?"

"Tired of me throwing you around the room already?" Bette asked with a mocking smile.

"Something like that," Averey agreed with a short laugh, moving to pack up her belongings. "I just have something I need to do."

"Sure, no problem."

"Cheers." Averey removed the gloves from her hands and tucked them into her bag before unfastening the top of her suit , pulling her arms out of the sleeves to tie around her waist. Sighing as the cool air brushed over her skin, she grabbed the strap to her gym bag and hooked it over her shoulder, careful not to snag the strap of her tank top or her hair underneath it. "Oh, hey."

"Hmm?" Bette asked from the doorway of the training room, turning around to face her,

"If you do leave and you ever find yourself in Brisbane," Averey said, stepping over to the taller woman, "look for my parents; Eleanor Moore and Daniel Kingston. Tell them you're a mate of mine and they'll take care of you."

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose," Bette said, shaking her head.

"They'd be happy to help," Averey insisted as they made their way through the halls of STAR Labs. "Oh, but one thing; depending on the context, don't be offended if you're called the c-word by any of the locals."

"I think I went through worse during basic training," Bette joked as they came upon a split in the hallway. "I should go let Caitlin look me over again but thanks for listening."

"No problems."

She bid Bette farewell before quickly showering, changing out of her suit (and replacing it back on its mannequin) before taking the bus across the city. Half an hour later, she was making her way through the Central City Police Department and took the elevator up to the fifth floor and made a beeline for Eddie Thawne's desk.

"Are you doing anything right now?"

Eddie lifted his head from having his face buried in his hands to look up at her. He stared at her for a moment, blinking before slowly looking around the busy office and back at her. She could already hear the sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue. "Besides a mountain of paperwork, fielding phone calls, waiting for witnesses to come in, and avoiding any and all interaction with Captain Singh?" he asked. "No."

"That's a laugh," Averey replied, flatly. "Are you ok? After everything I mean. Did you get any sleep?"

"Just busy," Eddie said, nodding his head. "I made sure Iris was situated at her dad's place before getting a hotel room. I got some sleep there and in the bunk room while on break." He indicated behind him with his thumb. "I'll be fine."

He did look more tired than she had ever seen him before. Some bags under the eyes were normal from time to time, but his body was folded in on itself as if a weight was pressing down onto his back. Even his hair looked like it was just hanging on his head and not styled any particular way. His place had only been ransacked the night before but it even looked like his facial hair had grown out of control in a few hours' time.

"So I reckon now's not a good time to tell you that I need to talk to you?"

"No, it's fine." Eddie grasped the arm rests of his seat, using his feet to push his chair back from his desk. "Let me just re-route my e-mail and phone for while I'm gone." Leaning over the keyboard of his computer, he typed and clicked for a brief moment before pressing a series of buttons on his phone. He got to his feet and said as he rounded his desk, "I welcome the break."

"You might want to bring something to write on."

Eddie grabbed a pen and a legal pad from under a stack of files before following her out of the main room. He passed her to lead the way through the police precinct. "One of the interview rooms shouldn't be occupied." He poked his head into the first room he came upon with its blinds down before motioning her inside.

Averey stopped in the doorway, squinting at the sunlight that illuminated the room. "Can you close the blinds?" she asked. Eddie dropped his pen and legal pad onto the table before looking at her. "S'too bright in here, mate. Or I could just wear my sunnies." She lifted her hand to touch the sunglasses sitting on top of her head before Eddie moved to close the blinds. "Cheers."

"Something tells me I need to prepare myself for whatever it is you're going to say," he said, releasing the wand in his hands where it softly clacked against the material blocking out the sun. "Should I sit?"

"If you want," Averey replied, closing the door behind her before taking a seat. "What I really need you to do right now is to not be mad at me."

"Ok, I'm sitting." Eddie grabbed the chair that sat opposite of her and lowered himself into the seat. "What's going on? You're starting to freak me out."

"You were right, I am in trouble."

"Trouble as in…?"

Averey closed her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. She placed her hands on the table and started twisting her fingers together before she stopped and tapped her nails on the wooden table top. "Well, my mates back in Keystone," she said, opening her eyes but looking anywhere but at Eddie, "and my flat mates here were and _are _in the Royal Flush Gang." She briefly wondered how quickly she could get to the door if she needed to make a quick getaway. "And—and so am I."

Finally looking at Eddie, she found him staring back at her. His pen slipping from his fingers to clatter against his legal pad and still he didn't say anything. Lifting his hands, he scratched at the back of his head before tilting his head back, running his hands over his face. "I wanted to be wrong," he said, voice muffled by his hands. "God damn it, Averey."

"I've been trying to get out of it, but these people don't just let you go. Eddie, I need help."

"I know you do." Eddie dropped his hands onto the table. "Thank you. Thank you for finally telling me."

"Are you mad?"

"No. I'm more disappointed."

"Reckon that's worse, mate."

Eddie's lips parted in a hint of a smile, his chuckle quickly dying on his lips. "What did I ever do or say to make it that you didn't trust me enough to tell me something like this?" he asked.

Yeah, disappointment was definitely worse than anger. She could handle anger. Seeing the combined look of sadness, disbelief, and frustration on Eddie's face made her stomach drop. It was the look she had wanted to avoid, but unfortunately knew she'd remember for the rest of her life.

"Nothing."

"So, why didn't you tell me? I would have helped you."

"I know."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to see that look on your face," Averey said quietly, starting to twist her fingers together again.

"You avoided telling me about this, when I flat out asked you twice, because you didn't want to see the look on my face when you did? Are you serious?"

Averey frowned, feeling even more stupid than she already felt. "You're not that much older than me, so stop talking to me like I'm a little kid."

"Maybe if you stopped acting like one, I wouldn't have a reason to talk to you like one."

Averey closed her mouth and settled back in her seat, feeling as if all of the energy had suddenly drained from her body. Her throat felt like it was tightening, and her eyes filled with tears as she said quietly, "I really stuffed up this time."

When was the last time she allowed herself to cry? Or admit that she really couldn't handle things on her own? What was going to happen now? Was jail time in her future despite trying to avoid it? All of her fears and worries were finally being released at the same time a sense of relief came over her. If anyone could help her, she was sure Eddie could.

Blinking rapidly, she wiped at her nose with her forearm, leaving a shiny streak. Getting control of her breathing and tears, she threw her hands into the air, she let out a shaky breath saying, "I just want a nice, easy life. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. But, it's not realistic," Eddie replied. "Everybody goes through something at some point." He picked up his pen and started tapping it repeatedly on the pad of paper. "I apologize for snapping at you. I've been waiting a long time for you to tell me."

"You already knew?" She wiped at the tears that start to slide down her cheek.

"I'm a police detective, remember? I had a hunch, but didn't have probable cause to really do anything about it."

"Which was why you kept asking if I was in trouble."

Eddie slowly nodded. "That was partly it." His gaze shifted to her left arm. "Plus, for as long as I've known you, you've never been much of a jewelry wearer and suddenly—"

"For your information," Averey said, dabbing at her eyes with the end of her sleeve, the stack of bracelets, wrist bands, and a watch sliding down towards her elbow "I normally don't wear them because I have bloody tiny wrists and they keep sliding off." Sniffing, she started to unfasten the watch and slid the accessories off of her arm. "But, also because of this." She extended her forearm to show him the puffy scarred skin that formed the number eight.

"Ahhh, I didn't know you were in that deep," Eddie commented, frowning at the light pink skin. "Avereyyy." He reached into his pocket for his phone and switched it to camera mode before quickly taking a picture. Shaking his head, he asked, "What did you do?"

_What didn't I do_? Grabbing the hem of her shirt, she Averey dabbed at her eyes as another wave of tears came. "A lot," she replied, allowing the fabric of her shirt to soak up the tears (and what little make up she was wearing). "It all started with the shoes." She swallowed thickly before explaining as much as she could about the Royal Flush Gang with picking up and delivering packages, bank runs, photo shoots, pawn shop visits, and breaking and entering. Eddie silently wrote down everything (and recorded it on his phone), breaking his silence to occasionally ask for more clarification on an event. "So, I warned Dr. McGee just last night about the Symposium before coming here this arvo."

"Ok," Eddie replied, setting down his pen, "and you can prove all of this?"

"Yes, I can!" Averey reached for her bag and removed her laptop, opening it and quickly typing in her password. "I've been logging everything on a side blog. Look." After entering her log in credentials she went to the landing page of the blog in question and turned her computer around to face him. "I can give you the log in and everything if you need it, mate."

With one hand, Eddie pushed the legal pad towards her, using the other to scroll through the webpage. As Averey wrote down her username and password, she could hear Eddie start laughing. Quietly at first, before he was settled back in his seat, hands over his stomach, looking more upbeat than he previously looked.

"You have no idea how frustrated yet happy I am with you right now," he said as his laughter died down. "This was everything I've ever needed to take these guys down. Finally. This is the list of everyone who has ever been affiliated with the Royal Flush Gang. How'd you get this?"

"Does it matter?" Averey asked. There was no way she was going to rat out Felicity and her mad skills. Eddie didn't answer as he continued scrolling through the pages. "You'll see Melanie Walker's name on there; she was one of my old flat mates in Keystone. She used to live in Gotham with her family, but her dad was one of the guys who broke out of Iron Heights a bit ago." She shifted her seated position, pulling a foot up onto the chair. "Sooo you can arrest them now?"

"No," Eddie replied, shaking his head. Dropping her foot back to the floor, Averey gaped at him. "This information is great, but I can't do much with it at the moment. Like I said, I don't have probable cause to arrest anyone." He rubbed his chin before pointing a finger at her. "But, I could. Does CI mean anything to you?"

"Criminal Intent?" Averey asked with a shrug. Eddie's eyebrows angled towards each other. "I didn't have a lot to do at Keystone Regional while waiting for count and meal times. Reading got boring, magazines were always outdated, and there's only so many times you can beat other inmates in a game of Spades before they don't want to play with you anymore. Why?"

"Confidential informant," he explained. Clasping his hands together, he leaned forward, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Or criminal informant depending on who you ask. We use confidential informants to gather information on people we're trying to take down; someone that's working on the inside."

"So, a mole?"

"If you want to look at it that way, you can. If you're up to it, and only if you're up to it, we can use everything you know, everything you will end up knowing against these guys. However, that means I need you to keep working with the Royal Flush Gang. I need you to continue to be a part of them. In return, I can make sure that if and when we take them down, whatever charges you get won't suffer as bad consequences."

"No time behind bars?"

Eddie hesitated before answering, slowly shaking his head from side to side. "I can't guarantee that," he admitted. "You could argue it as part of a plea deal if and when we get to that."

"I don't know, mate," Averey said with a frown. She lifted her foot to a leg of the table and started rocking back in her chair, pulling at her lip. Gavin knew everything and probably more than he was letting on. She would really have to get out of the house they were sharing now.

"We at CCPD know how to spin this," Eddie replied to her uncertainty. "Once we get enough, we'll set up a sting. Through all of this, you'll be playing your usual role and we'll make sure the others don't get wind of what you're doing. I can get Captain Singh on board with this."

"Can you?" Averey asked, lifting her eyebrows. She continued rocking back and forth.

"Trust me." Eddie put his hands to his chest. "Some people here owe me favors; you don't have anything to worry about." He then jabbed his index finger onto the wooden table top. "The _only_ reason why you're in this predicament is because that shop owner in Keystone was a hard ass. After so many thefts, he was looking to really give the book to someone and, unfortunately, that someone was you."

"You were looking at six months to a year in jail, even more before some of your other charges were dropped. I know the right people; with some of the favors I was owed back in Keystone, I was able to get it so the judge agreed that you only needed to pay a fine, you were banned from that store, and were on probation for a year. Ok?"

Pressing his elbows onto the table, he angled his wrists, holding his fists towards her. Averey twisted her mouth to the side before allowing herself to smile. The last time she had seen him do that, she was still wearing her khaki jump suit, handcuffed in a meeting room at Keystone Regional jail. With the limited mobility in her hands, she couldn't so much as give a high five without her second hand smacking herself in the face. Fist bumps were easy to do. Lowering her chair onto all four legs, she copied his arm placements, she bumped her fists with her own.

"Ok."

"And another thing, no one can know about this."

"Of course not."

"Did you ever tell your mom about your initial arrest?" Averey pressed her lips together, looking around the room, scratching at a spot behind her ear. "Averey! Why didn't you ever tell her?"

Averey's cheeks puffed up before she let out a breath of air. "My mum is my best friend, but she's also the type that would have reached through the phone and killed me if I ever called her to tell her that," she replied. Laughing lightly, she looked Eddie in the eye. "Mate, you would have needed to bloody _keep _me in jail to keep me safe from her. There were two things my mum always stressed to me growing up; never call from jail, and even though our surname is Moore, to never take more than you need. I thought I could handle it, let's leave it at that."

"Yeah, you handled it well, all right," Eddie said, flatly. "I just have one more question; why? Why did you wait so long to get help?"

"I thought I had it handled," Averey repeated, feeling her sadness return. "They said they'd hurt my family. They said that my dad was attacked in Iron Heights because I didn't follow directions. Take your pick. I didn't want to risk it. I did it for good reasons."

"Has anyone told you that the 'road to hell is paved with good intentions'?" Eddie asked, flipping the pages of legal pad filled with his handwriting to the first page. "I've dealt with these kinds of people before. They tell you about loyalty and being a family, but they wouldn't hesitate to leave you up the creek the minute things go wrong. They only think about and care about themselves. These people will tell you anything to keep you working for them."

"Yeah." Again, Averey dabbed at her eyes with her shirt before squinting at him. "Can I ask _you _a question?"

Eddie nodded. "Sure."

"Why are you so hell bent on helping me?" Averey asked quietly.

Eddie made a clicking sound with his tongue before he adjusted his tie. "Everyone thinks I'm a hot shot because of my work," he explained. "I'm proud of what I've done, but there are also parts I'm not too proud of. The main thing is, I don't' keep 'score' of my accomplishments. I keep 'score' of how many people I help." Slowly, pain appeared on his face. Averey could see his eyes slowly glossing over with the wetness of tears, the rims of his eyes were turning red, following the color change of his nose, and his lips started to quiver just slightly. "I, uh, accidentally shot and killed my previous partner. We were closing in on the Royal Flush Gang, and he stepped in to my line of fire. He was wearing a bullet proof vest, but I had hit his neck."

"For as long as I can remember, the Royal Flush Gang have had some sort of presence in my life and I just want them gone. Because of them, I killed my partner, nearly lost my job, and jumped the gun and arrested you. I was in a civil suit for a while which is how I know so much about Internal Affairs. I was cleared of everything, but I just couldn't stay in Keystone so I requested a transfer. Captain Singh knew I was good police and wanted me in Central City and I almost turned it down, but he convinced me to work here. That's why I want to help you; it'd be another mistake if I didn't."

"Eddie, I'm sorry," Averey said.

"You don't have to apologize, it's ok," Eddie said, lifting his hand in the air as he used the other to wipe at his eyes. Reaching for his phone he stopped the recording and for a minute, the two of them sat in silence. "You've given us a lot to go on and I can't thank you enough for coming in."

"No worries," Averey replied with a shrug, getting to her feet. "Can't thank you enough for helping me again, mate."

"Just don't make it a third time or we'll really have a problem," Eddie said with a short laugh, getting to his feet.

Averey said, drawing an X over her heart. "Last time, I promise." She let out a sigh of relief, feeling lighter than when she had set foot into the precinct. Getting to her feet, she couldn't help but grin, even when the backs of her knees hit the front of the chair hard enough to knock it over. "Whoops."

"Don't worry about it, that chair has been through a lot," Eddie commented, gathering his belongings. "It's generally the first thing people kick or throw out of frustration." Rapid knocking was suddenly heard on the door. "Come in!"

The door burst open, and a skinny man with a bushy mustache stumbled inside. His tie flew up over his shoulder and he scrambled to straighten it. "Thank god, I found you," he said.

"What's going on, Woodley?" Eddie asked. "Averey, this is my partner, Detective Woodley. Woodley, this is my friend, Averey."

"How ya going?" Averey asked, tilting her chin upwards in a nod.

Detective Woodley, still trying to catch his breath, lifted his hand in a wave. He held his finger in the air before making a show of taking in a deep breath of air. Eddie mumbled under his breath. "Ok. I'm good. Captain Singh is _screaming _for you," Detective Woodley replied, eyes widening in warning. "There was an incident at Iron Heights."

The room suddenly felt like it had some sort of static in the air. The hair on her arms stood on end and a slight shiver went down her spine. She could see Eddie tense up, and felt a sense of dread fill her body. This had something to do with her dad, she just knew it. Detective Woodley shifted his weight from foot to foot, his gaze sliding over to Averey. He tilted his head to the side, urging Eddie to follow him out into the hall with his eyes, but his partner didn't budge.

"What happened?" Eddie asked, his tone taking on a serious edge.

Seeming to give up, Detective Woodley finally said, "It's about that guy, Henry Allen."

"Dad?" Averey asked before she could stop herself. Detective Woodley's eyes grew wide a moment before he looked at her with confusion. "What happened to him?"

"It's ok," Eddie explained, seeing his partner's hesitation, "she's related to Henry Allen. Honest."

"I thought he—" Eddie cleared his throat, urging Detective Woodley to keep talking. "Ok, well, I'm sorry you have to find out like this, but we just got word that he was abducted from his cell last night. No one can find him."

* * *

"You know, I'd be lying if I didn't say I was home sick when I first moved in with Eddie, but if this was what I was going to be greeted with when I came back, I wouldn't have complained so much."

Barry merely lifted his lips in a brief smile. His gaze stayed glued to the TV, continuously flipping through channel after channel. With their satellite cable, he knew he had a good few hundred to go through. Luckily, he could take his time with it.

"That was a joke, Barry."

"Funny." Landing on a re-run of _Days of Our Lives_, Barry lifted the remote and tapped it against the side of his head. Stretching his legs out in front of him, he crossed one lounge pant leg over the other and curled his toes, a cracking sound filling the air as he did so.

"Ew, Barry!" Iris hit Barry on the side of the head with a couch pillow. "That's so gross! You know I've always hated it when you do that."

Barry turned his head away from the soap opera and gave Iris a mischievous smile. "Not as bad as this," he replied before lifting his hands to his nose. Dropping the remote, he held his hands in a tree shape over his nose. As he used fingers to mime forcefully turning his nose to the side, he made a cracking sound with his thumbnails against his front teeth.

Iris winced. "Oh my god!" she cried, turning her head away, making a face. "Stop it!" Laughing to himself, Barry settled back into his corner of the couch. A minute later, all traces of amusement were gone from his body. "Come on, Bare, what's up? I haven't seen you this depressed since _Bec-ky Coo-per_ broke up with you."

"Seriously, Iris, stop saying her name like that," Barry said, running a hand over his face. "And she didn't break up with me, it was a mutual decision."

Iris tilted her head to the side as she peered curiously at him. "You really hate not working don't you?" she asked, grasping his wrist and gently squeezing it. "Both you and dad seem so down. I'm sure you'll get back to work in no time. CCPD would be crazy to let you go."

"I just feel like I let dad down," Barry replied.

It wasn't exactly the truth, but that thought had crossed his mind a lot. Entering the police field was all because of his dad. One day he'd learn enough to work in a real police department-which he was able to do thanks to a good word from Joe—and one day put together the pieces of his mom's case to get his dad out of Iron Heights.

It made it harder to not be able to tell Iris what was the additional factors into his depressing outlook. After a long while of radio silence he had suddenly heard from Felicity about what was going on in Starling City. Oliver had fought against a Ra's al Guhl and was stabbed to death before being brought back to life, and Lyla was injured in a confrontation against Captain Boomerang, whom they never defeated before leaving Central City. While it took Felicity a bit to explain everything she knew about the League of Assassins to him, the fact that Oliver had died was the one fact that stuck with him.

His friend, and one of the only other people in the world that understood what it was like being a hero, had died. Things may have gone back to normal in Central City, but they had changed parts of the future after his quick replay of a day. Cisco was the one who had originally died the night Mark Mardon had attacked. Then Barry had changed the events that occurred and now Oliver was the one that had been killed. What else had he inadvertently changed in his quest to keep Central City safe? How much more was he going to mess up?

"You and I both know that that's not true," Iris said gently. "Barry, your dad has only wanted you to live your life." She gave him a small smile. "You've finished school, you went to college, and you're in a respectable job. Your dad is nothing but proud of you. And so am I. You're not as nerdy as you used to be."

"Ha, ha," Barry said, giving her a sarcastic look. She stuck her tongue out at her and Barry chuckled. "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Fine," Iris replied. "I like being home. I don't like the circumstances for it but…"

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Iris." Barry placed his hand on top of hers. "I wish I was there to stop it."

"Barry, we were lucky no one was there," Iris said, shifting her seated position to face his side. "Who knows if they had guns or would be violent? Eddie was working late and I was being briefed by Mason before he wanted to head over to STAR Labs. Normally we would have been home then. That's too scary to think about."

_I would've been able to stop them for sure_. Barry gave a nod of his head, showing Iris that he was listening. That was another reason why he felt so bad. What was the point of having his speed if he couldn't help his friends? "Still. I know its jarring having someone break your sense of security like that. You don't deserve to have that happen to you."

"Ohh." Iris slowly nodded her head, understanding what he meant. "Thanks, Bare, I appreciate it."

"Of course." Barry stretched his arms over his head, tightening his muscles until they started to hurt in the best way. Going from running as fast as he could to clear smoke out of the STAR Labs pipeline to staying one place as he slept to sitting on the couch all morning until he needed to go to STAR Labs caused his muscles to tighten up. "How's work going?"

Barry loved the smile that came to her face. "I love being at Picture News," she said with a wistful sigh. "I love the atmosphere, I love how busy it is, I love the deadlines."

"You're the _only _person I know who actually _likes_ deadlines," Barry commented.

"Excuse me, Mr. I'm-Always-Late-For-Everything-Even-School-Paper-Turn-Ins," Iris said, lifting an eyebrow.

Barry allowed himself to laugh. "I work well under pressure, ok?" he replied. "And I never turned in papers late. I just almost missed the turn in times. That's all."

"You had until midnight every time, how could you forget?"

Extra credit work, going to professors' office hours, applying to internships to work in the police field, and checking daily crime reports for Central City was only the tip of what he spent his free time while attending college. His classmates all thought he was just the Type A kind of student (which they tried to use to their advantage when exams rolled around), who didn't know how to take a break from working. They weren't exactly wrong, he always excelled in school. While in university, however, he was finally starting to feel like he had the chance to understand what had happened to his mom. Academic papers and chapter analyses weren't as important to him.

"So work is fine, then?" Barry asked, changing the subject back to her. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Not until another hour or two and work is fine," Iris replied, "but, I can only report on the Flash for so long. Compiling everything on the blog makes sense, because it's quick blurbs of text and anyone can submit their sightings. There's only so much I can write about The Flash for Picture News, especially since I haven't had any meetings with him or anything, lately." She rested her elbow on top of the couch, pressing her fist into the side of her head, propping it up. "It's just frustrating sometimes."

"I get it," Barry replied. "You think it was easy working with Joe when he refused to ever talk about my mom's murder? Or why I even wanted to go into criminology in the first place? I'm grateful he even put in a good word for me with Captain Singh, but I really had to work hard to get either of them to believe I was capable of working with the CCPD. Even if that meant taking jobs I really didn't want." He paused and put a hand over his chest. "Not to make everything about me."

"No, no, I understand," Iris replied, waving her hand in the air. "I know you get it. You always do." She brought her thumb to her mouth and started chewing on the nail.

"What's up?" Barry asked, gently knowing her hand away from her mouth.

"Nothing, it's just," Iris let the end of her sentence drift off as she brought her thumb back towards her mouth, "remember when I asked you after we went bowling if we were a little _too_ bff-y that night?"

"Yeah," Barry replied with a nod of his head. "Why?"

"I guess I just never really noticed how close Averey and Eddie were," Iris replied. Barry lifted his eyebrows. "I know they have a history with each other, but it wasn't as in my face until after that Internal Affairs meeting."

Barry had noticed the familiarity between the two of them; the side conversations, the inside jokes, and witty banter. A small, very tiny part of him, felt some jealousy when he saw the two interacting. And he couldn't quite pinpoint why. Maybe it was another instance of someone he knew falling for Eddie's charm. He could get along with the guy pretty well, but there was just something about him that bothered him (dating the girl of his dreams aside).

"You don't have anything to worry about," Barry replied. "It's not much different then how we are and Eddie's fine with that. Right?"

"Yes, he understands that you and I are close," Iris agreed.

"Besides, Averey and Cisco are getting pretty tight."

Iris let out a short laugh, her jaw dropping in a combination of an O and a smile before she slapped his knee. "And how are you feeling about that, big brother?" She asked. "I mean, Cisco _is_ your best friend." She tossed her hair over her shoulder in an over the top manner. "Besides me, of course." Barry rolled his eyes.

"Its fine," Barry replied, almost having to force the word out of his mouth. Then in the next instant wondered why it even came out that way. "It's weird. Like, I feel protective in a way, but at the same time, I don't have any say in it. Averey and I are kind of just going through the motions now; we've had some arguments, and generally we get along well."

"If you're getting along as friends, then you don't need to push the brother-sister thing," Iris said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Just let it happen naturally. She's been out of your life since she was born, so she might not necessarily need a brother right now, but a friend."

Barry nodded his head in agreement, but he knew what it was she really wanted. It was what he wanted; he wanted his family together any way he could get it. Why else would she travel all the way around the world just to find Henry and to know and understand where she came from. It was just going to take longer than either of them ever really realized.

"Just relax. It'll all work itself out." Iris reached for her phone as it started to vibrate loudly against the table, playing a tinkling jingle. "Oh, it's Eddie. I left him a message this morning asking to keep me updated on anything he hears about the break in." She swiped her thumb across the screen before holding her phone to her ear. "Hey, Eddie." Barry watched as her eyebrows lowered. "Yes, I'm with him. Yes, at home." She put her hand over the mouthpiece of her phone. "DAD! Bare, go get dad."

"What's wrong?" Barry asked, jumping to his feet. His heart was already beating quickly in his chest. "What is it?" Iris waved her hand in the air, motioning for him to leave. Barry hurried up the stairs two at a time before rushing to the master bedroom. "Joe! Joe, come on, something's wrong." Stepping through the doorway, he saw Joe leaning against the end of his bed, staring at the TV. Silently, Joe motioned for Barry to join him. Crossing the carpet, Barry moved to stand by Joe and his jaw dropped when he saw the news ticker scrolling at the bottom of the screen, under a live footage picture of Iron Heights.

"James Jesse is out?" Barry asked. "And he's got my dad?"

"It happened last night," Joe replied, tapping his chin with the remote. "No one noticed until Henry wasn't there for count this morning, and Jesse's cell was empty." He shook his head back and forth.

"That means they've been gone for hours," Barry said, voice suddenly croaky. "How could no one notice?"

"Maybe they did and didn't want word to get out," Joe replied. "Look at what's happened; Snart and Rory escaped their transport vehicle, those inmates broke out with the help of—what'd you call her? Peekaboo?"

"Yeah, Peekaboo."

"And now James Jesse, a dangerous terrorist, has escaped. I can't really blame the Warden for trying to keep it in house until they really needed the public to know." Barry couldn't really argue with that. "The problem is, now _because_ they wasted all that time, James Jesse could be anywhere. At least no one's blaming Henry, though."

"That won't stop anyone from thinking he could just go out and murder someone else," Barry replied. "Joe, I have to find him. I just need to find a place to start."

"Now, don't go rushing out around the city looking for them," Joe said, finally turning to look at Barry. "James Jesse is a smart man, he could have traps all around this city because he knows you're out there somewhere."

"But, Joe—"

"Eddie is on his way over," Iris said, hurrying into the room. "He has Averey with him."

"Let's see what information Eddie has before we try anything ourselves," Joe said, gently patting Barry on the back. "Ok?"It was a simple question, but his eyes were boring into Barry's warning him to stay put. Barry nodded. "Ok. Let's go wait for Eddie."

"I'll wait for them outside," Iris said before leaving the room.

"If we were still working…" Barry let out a frustrated groan as he got to his feet. "And of course this will be another score Eddie can add to his collection." Joe pointed the remote at the TV and shut it off, but didn't move otherwise. "Joe?"

"You really don't like him, do you?" Joe asked. "I'm not going to say we get on thick as thieves, because we didn't, but Eddie and I recently have come to respect each other. But, you _really _don't like him, do you. Iris is happy. Isn't that enough for you?"

"Of course I'm happy that she's happy, Joe."

"That's not what I asked you but I'll take it," Joe replied, motioning for Barry to sit back down. Knees cracking, Barry lowered himself into a seated position. "Look, I get you and Iris have been through a lot. She's probably the only person who will truly understand what it was that you went through. I apologize for being so adamant that Henry killed your mom. I apologize for all those years changing the subject or not listening to you."

"All the evidence was there," Barry replied. "I was angry at you, but I did understand."

Joe nodded his head. "Nevertheless, I'm glad you had someone like Iris to help you through it. But, Eddie isn't a bad guy. He's protecting Iris the way she protected you all those years ago when people turned on you because of what happened with your dad. Can't it be enough for you that someone out there sees Iris the way you do and loves her enough to want to keep her safe?"

"I see what you're saying," Barry said, scratching the back of his neck. "It's not that I dislike Eddie, it's what he represents that I dislike." Joe gave him a confused look. "Eddie is everything I'm not, so why wouldn't Iris fall for him? He's the confident popular kid in school and I'm the science nerd. He played sports and I tried everything I could to not participate in PE and be an easy target. He's a fully fledged police detective and I'm just a forensic assistant." Joe opened his mouth to talk and Barry quickly jumped in. "Not that I'm annoyed with that, I chose to study forensics and I'm happy where I am."

"You were also the kid that was jumped by a bunch of bullies after school and won," Joe pointed out. Barry chuckled, a small smile coming to his face. "Besides, haven't I always taught you and Iris not to compare yourself to anyone? You have no reason to start now." He leaned closer to Barry, a mischievous smile coming to his face. "And if you're going to, you have a one up on Eddie any day of the week because _he's _not the Flash. _You _are. You may wish that you could be like Eddie, but I wish I could be like you; a compassionate, giving young man who always puts others before themselves."

Barry smiled. Clapping Joe on the back, a motion the older man returned before the two of them left the master bedroom to wait for incoming information.

It wasn't long until the West home was filled with Barry's friends, watching the news and reassuring Barry that everything would be ok. Joe and Eddie were talking in the kitchen while Caitlin (who quickly explained that while she not only didn't know how to explain Ronnie's appearance to Iris so he decided to stay back and monitor STAR Labs), Cisco, and Averey joined Barry and Iris in the living room. Between the "Are you _sure _you're ok" looks that were shot his way, not having any leads to go off of, and Averey repeatedly asking him if he wanted any tea, he was fidgeting to just up and leave.

"No, I don't want any tea," Barry said, pushing the tray holding a tea pot and cups away from him. Averey sat down on the corner of the couch, letting out a huff of air.

"Look, Barry," she said, carefully balancing the tray against her knees, "back home, in the arvo there's tea time. Not to be confused with dinner time. I like to hold on to that and give myself some time during the day to relax. Some I'm going to ask you nicely: _just drink the damn tea_."

"_I don't want any tea_," Barry protested. Even he could hear the slight whining in his voice.

"Irissss, tell him to drink the teaaa," Averey said, matching his tone. Iris gave her a "What am I supposed to do" look and Averey looked for more help as Cisco laughed. "Caitlinnn."

"Drink the tea, Barry," Caitlin said, looking up from the photo album in her lap.

"See? Doctor's orders!" Averey said with a triumphant smile.

Barry let out a loud "ha" in genuine amusement. "Will you stop being so annoying if I take one?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. Averey's smile widened. "Fiiine." Humming happily, Averey carefully lifted the teapot and poured the steaming liquid into a cup before handing it to him. "Thanks." Lifting the rim of his cup to his mouth, he took a large mouthful and slowly swallowed it. As the heat slid through his body, Barry sank into the couch cushions sighing.

"Good, eh?"

Barry nodded.

"While I have you all here, not that it's the greatest circumstances, we can talk about what we're going to do for Barry's birthday," Iris said, clapping her hands together.

"Uh, no, I don't want to celebrate," Barry instantly replied. "It doesn't have to be a big deal."

"Your 25th was a big deal and we already missed it," Iris said, giving him a pleading look. "You deserve it, Barry, come on."

"I suggested to Eddie yesterday mini golf, laser tag, or the beach," Averey said, carefully setting the tray down onto the coffee table. Tucking her hair behind her ears she said, "And Jitters is having a trivia night soon, too."

"Dude, I'm all over that!" Cisco said, throwing his hand into the air as a vote. He moved from peering over Caitlin's shoulder to join the conversation. "We can do boys vs. girls; Caitlin, Iris, and Averey against me, Barry, and Eddie."

"Or if you invite Linda we could do couples," Caitlin pointed out.

"Yeah, that…sounds like fun," Iris agreed.

"I'd already know all the questions by then," Averey pointed out. "They have everyone at Jitters familiarize themselves with the questions just in case someone needs to fill in if someone decides to chuck a sickie."She rubbed her chin. "Or I could specifically request not to know."

"Or we could fill your spot with Ronn—" Cisco held out the name as Barry's eyes widened and Caitlin made a cutting motion across her throat.

"Ron?" Iris repeated.

"_Rum_," Cisco said with a smile. "I said rum." He snapped his fingers. "Yep, that's what I said. We take a shot each round."

_Nice save. _Barry put his hand over his face before taking another sip of tea. "Look, if you even _have_ to celebrate my birthday," he said.

"And we do," Iris said, reaching out a finger to poke his shoulder.

"I'd be just as happy hanging out here," Barry continued, waving his hand in the air to indicate the house. "Have dinner or something." He pointed his finger into the air. "But, I want presents."

Iris rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway.

"I have to get back to work," Eddie announced, coming out of the kitchen with Joe behind him. "All I'm saying is, Joe, if you have any idea who the Flash is, you need to tell him about this."

"Something tells me he already knows," Joe replied.

"Right." Eddie clapped Barry on the shoulder, and Barry tilted his head back to look at him. "Bare, I promise I'll get your dad back. I feel kind of responsible for this in the first place." Barry gave him a confused look, turning in his seat to get a better view of him. "Your dad had warned me that conversations spread around Iron Heights. I had talked to him about you being his son and working at CCPD with me. I wouldn't put it past James Jesse to target the police in this way."

"Don't worry about it, Eddie. Seriously."

"Still. I won't stop until he's back safe and sound and you can confirm it with your own eyes." He nodded in Averey's direction. "Both of you."

Barry leaned forward, setting his cup of tea onto the table before walking around the couch and offering Eddie his hand. Eddie stared at Barry for a brief moment before slapping his hand into Barry's, shaking it.

* * *

"I just don't understand how no one knows what happened to him between _this_," Barry jabbed his finger to one of the TV's mounted onto the wall of the Cortex that played security footage from Iron Heights of Henry being forced out of his cell, "and _this_." He indicated towards the other TV that showed footage of Henry being led out a side exit of Iron Heights. "I mean, there are security guards and everything everywhere, how does this happen?"

"And how could this guy break into Iron Heights without being detected in the first place?" Caitlin asked from where she sat behind her computer.

As soon as Eddie and Iris had left the West home to head to their respective jobs, everybody else had made a beeline for STAR Labs. Thanks to Cisco they had quickly managed to gain access to any and all security footage from Iron Heights. For the past couple of hours, Barry repeatedly watched as some lanky guy crept through the halls of Iron heights before forcing his way into his dad's cell.

"Metahuman maybe?" Joe asked, eyes trained on the two monitors.

"From what I saw in that database you all have," Ronnie said from where he stood behind Caitlin, hands gripping the back of her chair, "you have a metahuman that can jump from location to location. Maybe we've got someone who can scale walls or run through them or something."

"No, I don't think so," Joe replied quietly, eyes trained onto the footage in front of him. "Why rely on a firearm when you could just use your abilities to get others to do what you want?"

"It's not the known that people are afraid of, Detective," Dr. Wells commented, sounding almost impressed. Barry turned to face him as he lifted his glasses and wiped at the section of skin his nose pads were just sitting. "It's the unknown. The different. The supernatural."

_You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? _Dr. Wells caught Barry's eye, his eyebrows lowering slightly, but he didn't break Barry's stare. After a moment of silence, Barry cleared his throat, starting to pace as he massaged his chin. "Maybe if we found out who he is, that could give us something to go off of," Barry suggested.

"I've been running face recognition on this footage, but the mask isn't doing us any favors," Cisco replied. "Nor is his costume. Outdated, much?" Slowly twisting back and forth in his swivel chair, he watched the security film in front of him. "Not to mention in most of this footage, his back is to the camera. This is the best we can get." He paused on a screen of Henry being shoved into a set of iron bars, the face of the assailant appearing briefly over his shoulder.

"That's Axel Walker," Averey gasped. All eyes landed on her. "I lived with his sister, Melanie, in Keystone. I saw some pictures of him, met him _very_ briefly." She slowly shook her head from side to side. "Never thought he'd do something like this, though; he always did his best to stay out of people's way."

"It's always the quiet ones," Cisco said in a sing-song voice, reaching for his keyboard. His fingers flew over the keys, a clacking sound filling the air. "Got something." He loudly struck the ENTER key of his keyboard and the Iron Heights footage changed to a website filled with videos and text posts. "I don't think this counts as the dark web, but given the content…" He selected a video and it filled the screens with a thumbnail of a young adult, eyes covered in a black mask grinning like the Cheshire cat before it started moving. "Yikes!"

"_Hello, Central City. It's a quiet little town isn't it? It needs to wake up, don't you think?_" The shook as the camera was turned away from him to a bag sitting by his feet. Axel kneeled down by the bag, the smile still on his face. "_It's the evening for crying out loud; the nightlife. It needs a little pizzazz, a little zis boom bah so to speak. Luckily, I can help_. _A little earth shaking, mind blowing, fun is my specialty._"

"It's shot at a high angle," Barry commented, watching the movie. "Like he was using a _selfie stick_." Barry's eyes widened as the thought occurred to him. "This was filmed the day of those explosions downtown. He was the one who released those floating presents! Averey and I found a selfie stick on a roof that night."

"There's a lot of content here," Cisco announced. "Text posts, videos, polls of his next targets. There's even a post detailing his respect for The Trickster. Unfortunately, that's the thing about social media, you can put yourself online for anyone to see, whether they want to or not."

"What's the end game here?" Joe asked. "Jesse isn't the type to have anyone break him out of prison just because they can." He curled his hand into a fist and pressed it down onto the table top holding the computers. "This guy is called Trickster for a reason. Twenty years ago, he had everybody on the force on a goose chase; thinking he was in one place when he really was in another."

"What'd he want last time?" Caitlin asked.

"Money," Joe replied. "And a lot of it."

"So why doesn't he just rob a bank and get it over with?" Cisco asked.

"Because it's not personal," Barry replied. "Even this Trickster Jr. likes getting his hands dirty. He's grinning like a kid on Christmas morning when he lets those bombs go around Central City." He squeezed his hands together before locking his hands behind his head. "That's why he wanted dad. Have the CCPD spend time looking for him while they target someplace else."

"What else is happening around Central City today?" Caitlin asked.

"Maybe we could draw him out," Averey suggested. "From what Eddie told us earlier, and clearly it was all a ruse, but the guy hated hearing about anyone else copying him, yeah?" She pointed behind her with her thumb. "We have Bette. If she's willing, maybe we can draw them out with a few explosions of our own."

"Let's save that as a backup plan, Miss Moore," Dr. Wells commented. "We don't want Central City thinking there are bombs planted all over the city."

Barry heard a gasp from Joe and looked over at him in time to see his face go pale. "Mayor Bellows' re-election party," he replied in a quiet voice.

Ronnie let out a low whistle. "A room filled with some of the richest people in the city?" he asked. "If Mayor Bellows can convince any of them to join his committees, or just simply voting for him, his re-election is a shoe in."

"But, that doesn't explain your face," Averey said, watching as Joe slowly put up a hand to cover his mouth.

"Iris had texted saying she was assigned to cover the event," Joe explained. Barry gave him a confused look. On the one hand, he was happy to hear that Iris was getting a big story, on the other, she was just telling him that she was still only writing about the Flash. "They said she was too close to the story of Henry being taken when giving her the assignment." He reached for his phone and called his daughter. "Come on, pick up."

Barry couldn't wait and quickly rushed into his suit. As he pulled his suit's cowl down over his face, Averey was speed walking over to her suit. "You figure out what's going on at the party and I'll take the Cisco Cycle and try and find dad," she explained as James Jesse's voice started coming through the speakers of STAR Labs.

"That could take too much time," Caitlin protested. "We don't even know where to begin looking."

"Maybe I know a few places," Ronnie said. "Professor Stein and I never stayed in one place for a long time while we were living on the streets. There are some places we stayed I would have never known existed in Central City."

"It's worth a shot, yeah?" Averey asked.

"In the meantime, Cisco," Dr. Wells said, "start looking at any and all buildings and warehouses that suddenly have had electricity or heat supplied to them."

"I'm on it," Cisco replied.

It was the last thing Barry heard before he was rushing through the streets of Central City with the wind brushing past his face. Eyes narrowed against the wind, he could feel the electricity coursing through his body. He had to find his dad; he couldn't stop to think what could happen to him if he didn't make it to him in time. Bursting through the doors of City Hall, Barry hurried over to James Jesse, grabbing him by the chest and hauling him into the wall.

"Ahh, the Flash," James said, prying Barry's hands from his chest. He smoothed down his shirt. "Always late to the party, eh? And look you wrinkled my best shirt." Barry punched him across the face, hauling back up to his feet when he slumped over. "Ooh, touchy, touchy."

"What did you do with Henry Allen?" Barry asked through clenched teeth. He made sure to vibrate his vocal chords to mask his voice.

"Ooh, he's a dangerous one, isn't he?" James asked, pretending to think. "What would I want to do with him?" Barry punched him again and a third time.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

James's lips parted in a smile, blood coating his teeth. "Temper, temper," he said with a laugh. "Henry Allen is, um, a little tied up at the moment. Sorry, I can't bring you out to see him. I'm a little preoccupied at the moment as you can see."

Barry tightened his grip on the man and heaved him through the air in an arc, slamming him onto the floor. "Tell me where he is RIGHT NOW!" Barry cried.

"And ruin all the fun?" James asked. His chest heaved as he laughed. His wild eyes looked over at the party goers. Barry followed his gaze and felt his anger slip away just slightly when he saw everyone, including Iris, staring at him, watching the events unfold. "We want to give these fine people a show, don't we? After all, they don't have a lot of time left."

"What do you mean?" Barry asked.

"_He's spiked their drinks with poison_," Cisco's voice crackled over Barry's ear piece. Barry's eyes widened and James's laughter grew in volume. "_Caitlin and Dr. Wells are working on an antidote now_. _Barry, this guy really is crazy._"

"I'm sorry to say, you won't be sticking around for that much longer either," James replied. Barry suddenly felt two hands grab a hold of his arms, pulling them back behind him. "Maybe you should go for a run? Clear your head?" Something heavy was attached to his arm before he was released and Barry stared at a mechanical device that was strapped to his arm. "You might want to find a place far from here, too many people around. Things could get messy."

"You see," Axel Walker said, mimicking the delighted smile on James's face, "this will explode the nanosecond you stop moving at 600 miles an hour." Barry felt a chill run down his spine. Central City was too compact. Even if he were to go straight to STAR Labs and try to have it removed under the guise that this was just another trick, if it was to go off, thousands of people would be hurt. "But don't worry, that won't happen unless I pull out this pin." His face took on a look of mock horror as he held up the small key. "Oops."

Gritting his teeth, Barry took off running as fast as he could. Even as the fastest man alive, he knew there was no way could continue running. Sooner or later he would tire out. "What do I do?" he shouted, above the rushing wind. "James Jesse put this bomb on me, I can't run forever."

"_We can see it on the monitors here. He's not kidding, you can't stop not even for a second_," Caitlin replied.

"_Barry, come find me_," Averey replied, sounding as if she was standing right beside him. "_I have an idea_. _I'm at the warehouse on Raleigh Avenue._"

"I can't stop running, Averey," Barry said, frustration in his voice. _Wasn't she listening_?

"_Just keep moving your arms_."

"It's worth a shot," Barry said to himself before hurrying off in her direction. He arrived at the warehouse seconds later, spotting the sleek white vehicle that was the Cisco Cycle sitting outside of the building. The door popped open and Averey jumped out. Skidding to a stop, Barry stood panting beside her, swinging his arms as fast as he could. "What's the plan?"

"I cut it off," Averey replied, unhooking one of the boomerangs attached to her hips. She gripped it tightly in her gloved hand, gaze set on his blurred arm.

"You can't move that fast."

"I can see that fast. Kind of."

"What if you miss?"

"You'll heal."

"_You can't remove it," _Cisco warned. "_If you try disconnecting it, it'll come off_."

Barry let out a loud groan of frustration. Tears of anger came to his eyes or maybe it was the tears that collected from the wind that had been flowing into his fast as he ran. He could feel a dull ache of fatigue in his arm muscles starting in already. "I don't know what to do," he said. "I can't just keep running. I need to find dad."

"I'll keep going," Averey said, the strength that was in her voice a moment before was now gone. "I won't stop looking until I find him. Ok?"

Barry nodded before taking in a deep breath of air, starting to run again. Zigzagging through the city, he ran this way and that, dodging around cars, pedestrians, and roadwork. "_Barry, I need you to listen to me carefully,_" Dr. Wells's calm voice came to Barry's ears. "_Just breathe. Calm down. You can do this, ok? I need you to feel the air as it rushes by you. Don't run against the wind, run with it. Feel its energy as it passes over every inch of you. Feel it grow, like lightning in every cell of your body. Become that lightning with every fiber of your being._"

Barry closed his eyes, breathing as deeply as he could as he ran. As he listened to Dr. Wells, he suddenly felt like he was floating, like his feet barely touched the ground. A warm, fuzzy feeling surrounded his body, as if every cell was awakened at once.

"_Now find a wall and run, Barry, run through it._"

Snapping his eyes open, Barry changed his course of direction and headed towards the outskirts of the city. Coming upon an abandoned tanker truck and ran towards it. The thought of running towards a truck potentially filled with fuel with a bomb strapped to his arm being a bad idea briefly crossed his mind a second before he passed through it and out the other side. He felt a brief tug on his wrist before the weight of the machinery disappeared. Skidding to a stop, he stared down at his arm, running his hand repeatedly over the material of his suit.

"It's gone," he said, letting out a laugh of relief. A moment later, the ground shook as the bomb exploded. Barry tilted his head back towards the sky and let out a long sigh. "It's gone."

"_Good work, _Mr. Allen," Dr. Wells replied. Barry could hear the smile in his voice. "You_ became one with the Speed Force. I knew you could do it_."

Then Caitlin came on the line saying, "_Now get your ass back here and get this antidote for this poison._"

"With pleasure," Barry replied with a smile.

After getting the antidote for the poison and administering to all of the patrons at the mayoral party, he cornered James Jesse and demanded the location of his father. He relayed the information to Averey and waited outside of the darkened building as he waited for. _Please be ok, dad_, he thought eyes darting from window to window, hoping to get a glimpse of him. _Please don't be hurt._

The sound of tired crunching over gravel reached his ears and beams of light appeared on the building, growing smaller as Averey drove the Cisco Cycle to the shadows of the building. The engine cut off and the door opened with a hiss before Averey climbed out. "Reckon you would've gone in without me," she commented, looking up at the building. Her breath came out in puffs of condensation, mixing in with his own.

"Can't be too careful," Barry replied, the two of them falling into step as they neared the side door of the building. "Wanted you to check if there were any more traps."

"Good call." She cracked a wry smile. "Might be some arrows waiting to be shot into your back."

"Not funny."

Shrugging, Averey stepped over to the door. Looking it over, she slid her hand up the crack in its frame before inspecting the area of the ground around it. "Not seeing anything," she announced, brushing the dirt and rocks that clung to her knees away. "Can't say there's nothing on the other side, but we won't know until we open the door, yeah?"

Holding his breath, Barry grabbed the door handle and slowly pulled it open. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for something to go off. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes and looked around in amazement before hurrying through the door and into the darkness. Eyes adjusting to the dark halls, silvery moonlight shining in through the windows was their only source of light as they made their way carefully through the warehouse, guards up for any booby traps waiting to get them.

"I think we're good," Barry said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I think so, too." Averey's head moved on a swivel as they passed each darkened hallway. She stopped suddenly and Barry nearly ran into her. "Over there. Look." Barry followed the direction of her finger and saw flickering orange light at the end of the hall. The two of them broke out into a run, rounded the corner, and found their dad tied up to an arm chair with a wooden box hanging precariously over his head. "Are you ok?"

Henry's head snapped in their direction as they stepped further into the room. "They said if I tried to get out," he explained, despite the look of awe on his face, "the contents of the box would kill me."

"We'll have you out in a jiffy," Barry promised. He licked his lips. "It could be another trick."

"Suppose it's not, the bomb wasn't," Averey replied.

Barry nodded in agreement. Looking around the room, he spotted a wooden pallet propped up beside the fireplace. Walking over to it, he struck his foot forward, kicking it in the middle, causing it to break in half, folding in on itself. He grabbed one half and handed it to Averey. "Here, I'll get him out," Barry said, looking up at the box. "That box will open as soon as he's out of the chair, time it so whatever it is, will hit this."

"You got it."

"Ok, on 3. 1, 2, 3!"

With a grunt, Averey threw the half of the pallet towards the underside of the box. Barry rushed forward, and quickly untied the ropes securing their dad to the chair before he grabbed the lapels of the Iron Heights jumper in his fists. Lifting his father out of the chair and rushing him across the room, he heard a thud and clatter and turned his head to see a collection of kitchen knives sticking out of the wood, or lying on their sides.

"Thank you," Henry said, massaging his wrists. "Thank you, so much."

"Let's get you out of here." Barry and Averey helped Henry carefully make his way out of the darkened building. Once he was out in the fresh air, he put his hands up to the skies and took in a deep lungful. "Are you ok?"

"Better than you'd think for someone who knows they have to go back to Iron Heights," Henry replied with a tired laugh. He looked Barry in the eye. "Better knowing that my kids are ok."

Barry hesitated for a moment before a wide smile came to his face. Removing his mask he took in the sight of his dad handcuff free outside the walls of Iron Heights before his vision blurred from his tears. Sobbing, he walked over to his dad, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

"It's ok, Slugger. I'm right here."

"I didn't know if—if," Barry squeezed his dad tightly, burying his face into his shoulder. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"Of course I'm ok," Henry replied, taking a step back to put his hands on Barry's cheeks. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Can't help it," Barry replied, wiping at his eyes with his hands.

"My turn! My turn!" Averey playfully pushed Barry aside before getting her turn to hug Barry. "Hi, dad."

Henry removed Averey's eyepiece from her face and smiled. "Hi, Averey. Or is it, Visionary?" He nodded his head in approval. "It fits." He gave her a hug before opening his arm to invite Barry in to join them. "I never thought I'd see this day."

/ / /

"The police are coming," Averey said, craning her neck to look through the darkened streets in front of STAR Labs as Team Flash made their way out for the night.

Red and blue lights flashed as they grew closer and closer to the science building. After Barry rushed Henry to CCPD, he met up with everyone at STAR Labs to change out of his suit, debrief, and eat a lot of protein bars. Joe thanked Barry profusely before going to tend to Iris and make sure she was doing ok.

"What'd we do now?" Cisco asked dryly, swinging his car keys around his finger.

"Guess we'll find out," Barry replied around a mouthful of his protein bar.

"It's such a beautiful night out tonight," Caitlin said, glancing up at the skies as Ronnie wrapped his arms around her. "It feels like the city is finally at peace for once."

"Let's just hope it stays that way for longer than, say, a week," Cisco commented, earning soft laughs from his friends. He lifted his hand to shield his face from the flashing lights as the sleek black CCPD car pulled up to a stop.

"And people think it's weird to wear sunglasses at night," Averey said with a smirk, her dark frames sitting on her face.

"Who is it?" Caitlin asked as the engine of the car was cut off.

The driver's side door popped open and Eddie climbed out, slamming it shut behind him. "What are you doing here?" Barry asked, stepping closer to the car, shoving his protein bar into his pocket.

"I wanted to keep my promise," Eddie said with a bright smile as he opened the back door. "Handcuff free." He stood by as Henry stepped out of the car, still in his Iron Heights uniform, but now wearing a tan coat. "Captain Singh signed off on it as long as I have Henry back in time. You don't have long."

"That's ok," Barry said. "Thanks, Eddie." He gave Eddie a hug, which seemed to surprise the Detective, before stepping over to his dad, wrapping his arms around him for the second time that night.

"Don't you want to go over and talk to your dad?" Cisco asked, nudging Averey in the side with his elbow.

"No, I'm going to give it a miss. Right now I just want to watch him," Averey replied, keeping her eyes on her dad, "and make sure I remember every detail of this moment. Barry deserves his time with him."

* * *

**A/N: **Phew, longest chapter yet. The part with Bette and Averey was originally going to be an opening to a previous chapter, but I had to move it and finally found a place for it. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

_babyj: _I know exactly what you mean in regards to Averey just telling. I was getting to that point myself and that's why I had brought it up in the last chapter; to have her tell in this one. I had part of that scene written/planned out for a while so I'm glad to have finally get to used it. Thanks for pointing out how many times Caitlin referred to Cisco by name, too.

_Ethan: _Haha, that was a good theory. Maybe I should have done it that way. At the time, it was the only event I could think of to have Averey reach her breaking point with Gavin. I think abducted would be a better word for it. Thanks for reaching.

_Kellie: _No problem! Glad you're still reading and enjoying.


End file.
